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It’s been pretty obvious for a while that places were through some way or another beefing up their stream plays inorganically, but I don’t think anyone thought it was like this. A video has surfaced of countless smart phones set up and listening to music in a room, seemingly harvesting plays for what we can only assume is a generic EDM banger that doesn’t deserve the love. The video specifically shows a bunch of phones plugged into a streaming service, and the description explains that it’s what artists do to boost numbers. Check out the video for yourself below and tell us if you think it’s legitimate! Source

Future turns 35 years old today, and to celebrate his good buddy Drake joined the likes of Lil Yachty, Jacquees, and Pastor Troy for a party at Atlanta’s Magic City strip club last night. The club was refashioned as “Future City,” according to TMZ, which add that Drake literally had an armored truck deliver $100,000 in cash to the premises. The cash, it goes without saying, was there for the rappers to literally rain down upon attendees. Yes, rappers really do live as they do in their music videos. Hennessey and Don Julio were the drinks of the night—30 bottles of each were consumed by the crowd—and it’s said that Indaglow Productions spent $10,000 on the rebrand. TMZ adds, however, that the party was “cut short” when reports of gunfire brought cops to the party around 3 a.m. No evidence was found of the gunshot claims, but “the vibe was definitely killed and people started clearing out.” As if it were any surprise, both rappers were on Forbes’ list of the highest paid rappers. Drake shared his most recent album, Scorpion, back in July, while Future just dropped WRLD ON DRUGS, a collaborative mixtape with JUICE WRLD. Source

Tekashi 6ix9ine is facing multiple federal charges, including racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug distribution. As we awaits trial, the 22-year-old rapper has been placed in general population at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, according to TMZ. This particular detention center has been described by the U.S. Justice Department as “notoriously brutal, with inmates who are extremely dangerous, violent, or escape-prone.” Nevertheless, 6ix9ine is not being held in a segregated section of the prison — as would normally be the case for a person of his celebrity stature. Lance Lazzarro, a lawyer for 6ix9ine, questioned his placement in general population, given that federal authorities took 6ix9ine into protective custody prior to his arrest, citing threats on his life. Nevertheless, Lazzaro told TMZ that he’s confident his client will remain safe as he attempts to secure him pre-trial bail. In a separate interview with XXL, Lazzaro expressed confidence that 6ix9ine would ultimately be vindicated. “I believe that the charges against him is an over-charge by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and that when the facts come out I am confident that the charges will be dismissed as it relates to Daniel Hernandez Tekashi 6ix9ine,” Lazzaro said. If found guilty on the charges, 6ix9ine faces a minimum of 32 years and a maximum of life in prison. Meanwhile, 6ix9ine’s one-time collaborator, 50 Cent, is distancing himself from the jailed rapper. “My son got picked up, I told him don’t call me shit. The Fed’s on you fool,call ya mommadon’t put the FBI on my phone.positive vibes only #lecheminduroi,” he wrote in an Instagram post. Source

Last week, Calvin Harris hosted an impromptu Twitter Q&A session, revealing his thoughts on “EDM,” his future at music festivals, and more. Though most of the responses came on the 12th, another given on the 13th reveals some of the artists that “shaped his voice in music,” as asked by @ryanpooree. Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and Goldie’s “Inner City Life” don’t come as particular surprises, but the rest are definitely a unique insight into the history of Harris’s listening habits. Others named include Sly & The Family Stone, Roy Ayers, Outkast, and the Isley Brothers. He also cites multiple record labels, such as Azuli, Defected, and Positiva from the late ’90s, as well as the complete works of both Neptunes and Timbaland. Any die-hard Calvin Harris fan would do well to dive into music history and listen to some or all of these bands, artists, and labels to get a better understanding of where the Scotsman came from. See the full list below: Aw yeah definitely heres some Sly & the family stone Fatboy slim Roy Ayers OutKast Defected records 1999- Azuli records 1998- Complete works of Timbaland Complete works of Neptunes Isley brothers Chemical brothers D’Angelo voodoo Goldie inner city life Positiva Records 1997- https://t.co/5QvzeN7DTV — Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) November 14, 2018 Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Calvin Harris Reveals Unexpected List Of Names That “Shaped His Voice” In Music Source

This month, the state of California has been ravaged by a series of wildfires, decimating tens of thousands of acres of land, displacing innumerable residents, and destroying homes and lives. While the state and families work to rebuild, they need as much help as they can get. In partnership with the LA Fire Department, Insomniac Events, United Talent Agency, and Prodigy Artists, Joyryde is hosting a special fundraiser night at Exchange LA on November 29. “Last week I was watching the fires & knew already we had to do this,” writes Joyryde. “I’m donating my fee & all proceeds from this event to the LAFD & we made a go fund me for the Animal Shelters & victims of the fire. COME, GIVE.” According to Joyryde’s management, “100% of the artist fee, management, and agency commission and the GoFundMe JOYRYDE set up will be donated the victims, the fire fighters and the local animal shelters.” Donate to the GoFundMe here, and purchase your ticket to the show here. Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Joyryde Announces Fundraiser Show For LAFD & Victims Of California Wildfires Source

Scientists are learning that MDMA is way more than just a party drug. New research suggests that the substance can offer therapeutic benefits, and according to a recent report, heighten social processing. Specifically, a new study says MDMA can make people more cooperative and forgiving in social situations. According to a team from King’s College London, the drug affects the way in which people interact with others. Those who struggle with “social processing,” a term linked to such relationships, may become more in tune with others with the help of MDMA. Currently, problems with social processing are “recognized as a fundamental difficulty in a range of psychiatric conditions and are not treated effectively by current medications.” While the findings are amazing, the study in itself is quite interesting. Participants were asked to play the famous psychological game “Prisoner’s Dilemma,” which is all about competing or cooperating with another person. When given a dose of MDMA, people were more likely to take the cooperative route, but only with trustworthy players. Also, they were more willing to rebuild relationships even after a breach of trust took place during gameplay. Professor Mitul Mehta from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, an expert close to the research project explains, surprisingly, “MDMA did not alter how trustworthy they thought the other players were.” Instead, “MDMA increased activity in the superior temporal cortex and mid-cingulate cortex” which are “important in understanding the thoughts, beliefs and intentions of other people.” Rather than altering the decision-making process altogether, MDMA specifically had an impact on brain activity when processing the behavior of others. Source: Metro UK This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: STUDY: MDMA Helps With “Social Processing” Of Others Source

It looks like Harley Quinn will be breaking up with her sugar. As production of her Suicide Squad spin-off ramps up, actress Margot Robbie has revealed the full title of Birds of Prey — and it’s a mouthful. According to an image Robbie posted to Instagram (and as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter), the full title of the superheroine team-up will be Birds of Prey: (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn). This seems more of a play on the great Michael Keaton film Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) than it is a title pulled from the comics like, say, Avengers: Age of Ultron or Captain America: Civil War. Still, there is some connection to the source material here. A beloved 2016 story arc from the Harley Quinn solo book saw the character finally breaking it off with her longtime love interest The Joker after it was “revealed” (read: acknowledged) that the relationship was abusive. During a battle between the two, Harley tells Joker, “I hate ya for what ya bring out in me. I’m not yer toy anymore. Unnerstand? You did mean somethin’ ta me one time, but that time is over.” Whether or not this means we’ll actually see Jared Leto back as the Joker in the film is unknown at this time. We do know, however, that Ewan McGregor has signed on to play Batman villain Black Mask in the film, and that Robbie’s Quinn will join forces with Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, and Rosie Perez as Detective Renee Montoya to take him down. We’re still waiting on word on who will be cast as Cassandra Cain, a character who has used the identities of Batgirl, Black Bat, and Orphan over her 20 years as a character. Cathy Yan is directing the R-rated movie, which is set for a February 7th, 2020 release. Source

Dillon Francis and Alison Wonderland are teaming up in a really big way. Recently, they revealed they are expecting a collab together and now they’ve announced an entire tour to go with it! As the buzz continues to build in anticipation of the release of platinum-selling DJ and producer, Dillon Francis and Aussie superstar Alison Wonderland’s forthcoming collaboration track, the pair announces their co-headlining U.S. Lost My Mind Tour. For a preview of the track under the same name, go here — the hype is real. In addition to their respective solo headline sets, the pair will join forces on stage to throw down an exclusive back-to-back set each night. This way, fans will be treated to three amazing sets for just one ticket price. The tour kicks off in early 2019, and by that time we’ll surely get to hear “Lost My Mind” and all it’s glory. General on-sale begins at 10 am local time on November 30. For first access to tickets and more info, go to LostMyMindTour.com Naturally, the promo video is on point. We can’t get enough of these two! Dillon Francis & Alison Wonderland Tour Announce Lost My Mind Tour Dates 1/31/2019 Madison, WI – The Sylvee 2/1/2019 Minneapolis, MN – Armory 2/2/2019 Chicago, IL – Navy Pier 2/4/2019 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant 2/5/2019 Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theatre @ The Midland 2/7/2019 Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom 2/8/2019 Houston, TX – Revention Music Center 2/9/2019 Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater 2/15/2019 Columbus, OH – Express Live! 2/16/2019 Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple 2/17/2019 Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works 2/20/2019 Portland, ME – State Theatre 2/21/2019 Philadelphia, PA – Liacouras Center 2/22/2019 Washington, DC – The Anthem 2/23/2019 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Dillon Francis & Alison Wonderland Announce Co-Headlining ‘Lost My Mind’ Tour Source

Marius is a very experienced producer to say the least. Based off of his brilliant past, gathering millions of streams online with his single releases, Marius returns to the dance floor with his highly anticipated Estranged EP, which boasts seven tracks in the experimental hemisphere. Warm, melodic, and peaceful vibes take the wheel in these songs that Marius seems to have a knack for creating. Working in a niche, Marius still makes sure to think outside the box. With personal favorite tracks of mine on the EP being “Blub” and “Vakkert,” you can tell with these type of songs this artist is intimate and creatively innovative with his production. “Blub” is a tickling, less than creepy sort of song that seems to be more of a curveball on the EP, but I really enjoy the samples and loops. “Vakkert” is a bit more cinematic and downtempo. Pumping synths and bass melody leave the listener fulfilled. These are definitely two tracks that add a lot of value to the EP! Be sure to follow Marius on Soundcloud for more music! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Marius drops his boiling hot “Estranged” EP Source

Following yesterday’s indictment, it’s been revealed that six of the 17 charges brought against rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, his ex-manager Shotti (Kifano Jordan), Ish (Jensel Butler), Crippy (Faheem Walter), and Fu Banga (Fuguan Lovick) are against Tekashi himself. The court documents read that Tekashi, real name Daniel Hernandez, and his group conspired to commit crimes, such as armed robberies and shootings. “[Hernandez] is a member of a violent sect of the Bloods,” said Assistant US Attorney Michael Longyear at the arraignment. “This defendant participated in multiple acts of violence.” In addition to the violent crimes brought against Hernandez and his group, they’re also accused of selling heroin, fentanyl, MDMA and marijuana in New York. If found guilty, Hernandez could face possible life sentence and a mandatory minimum of 32 years in prison. 6ix9ine’s lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, told TMZ that he has been placed among the general population at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, “as opposed to being held in a segregated part of the federal pen … due to his celeb status.” Hernandez’s scheduled bail hearing for today was pushed to Wednesday since the judge was unavailable. via Rolling Stone, TMZ This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Tekashi 6ix9ine Faces 32 Years To Life For His Crimes Source

Walk through any used DVD shop and odds are your eyes will catch a box set wrapped in what appears to be an orange snowcoat. That would be Northern Exposure, which originally ran on CBS from 1990 to 1995 and starred Rob Morrow as a New York City doctor who’s been tasked to work in Alaska. Needless to say, those sets won’t be gathering much dust for long. According to Deadline, CBS is digging back into its catalogue and will revive the series, with co-creators Josh Brand and John Falsey leading the way and Morrow once again headlining the series alongside co-star John Corbett. The new series will follow Morrow’s character as he travels back to Alaska, this time to attend a funeral, which naturally leads to further adventures that has him sticking around once again. And while that sounds incredibly lazy, narratively speaking, we’re confident that Brand and Falsey will have fun with the premise. In related news, ALF is still without a home. Source

Billie Eilish is a 16-year old sad-pop wunderkind who has yet to release her debut LP. A press release reveals her first full-length is due out next year, so, for now, you’ll have to be content with striking singles like “you should see me in a crown” and “when the party’s over”. Today, she debuted yet another, “come out and play”, which premiered on Zane Lowe’s Apple Music Beats 1 show. As heartfelt and subdued as her early singles, the song swaddles the singer in gentle acoustic guitar, gauzy ambiance, and textured percussion. “Don’t hide away,” Eilish pleads, sounding as if she were singing to a scared animal. “come out and play” soundtracks Apple’s new “Share Your Gifts” holiday ad campaign, and you can hear it in the below advert. Eilish is currently wrapping up her “1 BY 1 Tour”, but will play a handful of West Coast dates next month. See them below, and get tickets here. Billie Eilish 2018 Tour Dates: 11/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre 11/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre 11/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre 12/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum 12/10 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom 12/11 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater 12/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern 12/14 – San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center Source

Twitter nearly exploded earlier this month when Ice-T, longtime NYPD detective on Law & Order: SVU and Jersey native, admitted to an especially heinous crime: He’d never, ever had a bagel or cup of coffee in his life. The internet asked that the musician/actor immediately rectify things, and now, Ice-T has dutifully done so. And there’s actual video proof! Technically, Ice-T finally ate a bagel and sipped some coffee as part of an ad for dating app Coffee Meets Bagel (ha! get it!), but the results are still nothing short of #qualitycontent thanks to his real-time commentary and next level food criticism. “It has a different consistency than a doughnut,” a very surprised Ice-T remarks in the video. Yes, Detective Tutuola, a bagel is very much not a doughnut, despite their similarities in shape. “If you’ve got caps on your teeth, that’s all gone,” he adds later, not too pleased with the bagel’s heaviness. Upon taking a sip of his first coffee, Ice-T notes, “OK, it’s not what I expected… tastes like water.” He then says he’ll likely never drink a cup of joe again. (He’ll just keep pretending to on make-believe TV.) Watch Ice-T Meet Bagel and Coffee below. EXCLUSIVE I did it. Finally tried coffee and a bagel. For the #1st time in my life! What did I think? Watch the video to find out… Thanks to dating app @coffeembagel for introducing me to my first coffee and bagel. #CoffeeMeetsBagel #Ad pic.twitter.com/ybmLTo1d3F — ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) November 19, 2018 In a short interview with TMZ last week, Ice-T claimed he’d be down for eating a bagel if someone paid him $100,000, so I guess Coffee Meets Bagel coughed up some serious dough? In other news, I personally use OKCupid for all my failed online dating attempts, just in case ya got some cash to throw around and would like to sponsor me somehow. I’ll eat as many bagels as you want and I have no caps on my teeth. Source

Mezzanine, a beloved venue in San Francisco, is being forced to shut down. After over 10 years of music, art, film and fashion the establishment will shut its doors next year. According to a new press release, it is with heavy hearts that the people behind Mezzanine make this announcement. “It’s with great sadness that we release the unfortunate news that Mezzanine will be closing indefinitely in October of 2019.” a statement reads via the official Facebook page. “We want to share this press release to not only express our heartbreak, but also express our gratitude for the years we’ve been able to spend with all you amazing people…” Owner Deborah Jackman expresses her great sadness about not having the opportunity to negotiate a new lease for Mezzanine. “What I find most disturbing is that Mezzanine, like so many other cultural institutions, has fallen victim to corporate greed and commercial development,” she says. Recently, the venue hosted events for The Bloody Beetroots, Galantis, and Pendulum (DJ Set), among others. Coming up, the venue has shows on deck with Lost Kings, R3HAB, Brasstracks and many more. Thankfully, there’s still time to experience a show there before the shut down. Read the full release below. Mezzanine Official Statement Photo via Mezzanine / Johnny Edge Photography This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Iconic Venue Mezzanine Forced To Shut Down [OFFICIAL STATEMENT] Source

The Pitch: As Robin Hood helpfully informs you within its first seconds, “forget what you think you know. This is no bedtime story.” Tabling for a moment the fact that Robin Hood is not itself known to be a common bedtime story, it’s time once again for one of the great, open-source fables to be adapted anew. The hallmarks are the same: Robin of Loxley (Taron Egerton), a lord of noble birth, returns from his enlistment in the Crusades to a Nottingham run by a cruel Sheriff (Ben Mendelsohn). Robin steals from the rich and gives to the poor, although Robin Hood does a fair bit of waffling on that idea throughout. There’s a Marian (Eve Hewson), a Friar Tuck (Tim Minchin), and for some reason there’s also Jamie Dornan. Otherwise, this Robin Hood looks like a lot of other things audiences might half-recognize, but it barely resembles the classic story on which it’s based. Call Him “Rob”: The movie does, and often. It’s ridiculous. Moving on. Under The Hood: At times, this latest update of the Robin Hood story functions a little bit like one of those face-or-the-vase pictures used in psychological tests. You take away whatever your eye catches first. Here, however, that idea functions in service of being able to suss out which corner of recent popular culture the film is cravenly attempting to milk for loose change. Thanks to the hood and the curious costuming choice of Nottingham’s impoverished being clad in fitted leather, there are some major aesthetic similarities to the Assassin’s Creed games. The dulled gray-and-black palette of so many setpieces recalls any number of post-Snyder action flicks. Between Egerton’s cocksure swagger and the near-constant speed ramping, there’s some of the kinetic Kingsman energy in there. It’s briefly a brutal Crusades film, shot in the sandy beige tones of so many Middle Eastern-set war films of recent vintage. There’s a ridiculous, friendship-based training montage in the Rocky mold. Needless to say, Robin Hood lacks a definitive identity. Director Otto Bathurst attempts to rope these many disparate influences together into something resembling a coherent movie, but he was probably doomed from the start. Even for Lionsgate, who ran the Divergent series so far into the ground that it never actually ended, Robin Hood is an especially craven attempt to kick-start a new franchise by latching onto the hot trends of the era. From the team-gathering feel of many of the early scenes to a hilarious late-film tease for a possible sequel, Robin Hood exudes desperation at almost every step. It’s a lot of things, clearly, but it’s barely a movie. Tango & Cash, The Medieval Years: It’s a shame the film spends so much time fluctuating between absurd and unbearable, because Robin Hood occasionally threatens to become a little bit fun. It’s clear most of the key parties involved know what kind of movie they’re doing, particularly Egerton as Robin and Jamie Foxx as John. (No “Little” here.) John is recast as an Arabic warrior who loses his son to the Church-funded English army of the Crusades, and Robin as the English soldier who breaks ranks in the futile hope of righting a clear wrong. The duo’s subsequent scenes together seem to come from an entirely different buddy-comedy action film, but they bring a bit of levity to a movie otherwise obsessed with glowering as much as possible. Given how unbearably self-serious much of Robin Hood is, at least its leads seem to be having a good enough time. Uh, Is Robin Hood Antifa Now?: Robin Hood might not be a good movie, but in at least a political sense, it’s a pretty interesting one. In this iteration of the tale, Robin is essentially radicalized by the senseless violence of his time at war. Witnessing what are clearly English atrocities, his by-night Nottingham robberies become a way of righting senseless wrongs, battling repressive social policies, and attempting to bring down a corrupt church-state regime. Political disruption is central to this version of the tale, right up to the point where Egerton has to deliver a speech about wealth redistribution to a slum full of what kind of look like the ravers from The Matrix Reloaded. Given the ugliness of the film elsewhere, it’s tough to argue for Robin Hood as some kind of subversive work, but at least it approximates the anti-oligarchic sentiments of its source material in a real way. The Verdict: A fair deal of the time, Robin Hood is goofy enough to be a little bit of fun in that bad-movie way, but there’s a nastiness to some of it that often undercuts any sense of play. Mendelsohn’s Sheriff is brutally vicious, in that lurid way that overwritten modern villains are in order to slip in the kind of nastiness that antiheroes can no longer pull off. Marian is threatened with sexual assault more than once onscreen. The entire Crusades storyline, while clearly placed in the film in order to argue for their horrors, trades on the slaughter of faceless Arabs for several minutes of action-packed screentime before any attempts at thoughtful reflection are actually made. It’s a weirdly unpleasant action movie, even for the modern update of an ostensible lark. The problem with Robin Hood trying to be so many things, as has often been the case with any number of overstuffed franchise hopefuls in recent years, is that none of its attempts actually land for long. Even when it’s briefly diverting, it jumps back into tired, Star Wars-ian handwringing about the absolute corruption of absolute power before long. When it finds a sense of fun, it starts blowing things up in a way preposterous for the era simply because “badass” seems to be the vague default state of any directionless action movie these days. There’s nothing particularly memorable about Robin Hood even when you’re laughing at it, and that may be one of the saddest fates a movie can meet. Where’s It Playing?: Robin Hood will help families around the world ring in the holidays by implying that the Catholic Church invented Hell as a fear tactic on November 20th. Trailer: Source

There’s a Bonnaroo 2019 flyer making its rounds on the internet and it looks pretty legit. Plus, the graphics match that of the official website. Could we be looking at the official lineup for this year’s installment? Nope. Sorry. According to our sources, the flyer was made by a member of a Bonnaroo forum who’s infamous for doing this every year. That being said, the flyer likely isn’t too far off. If it were real, Odesza, Illenium, Galantis, GRiZ, ZHU, Flux Pavilion b2b NGHTMRE, Zomboy, Gammer, Just A Gent, 12th Planet, Cookie Monsta, and more would be out there repping electronic music come June. Knowing many of these artists are already touring, this sounds about right. Bonnaroo is one of those music festivals that embraces all kinds of genres and styles. The top line is incredibly diverse, boasting Paul McCartney, Phish (with 2 sets), Arctic Monkeys and Post Malone. The potential lineup also includes My Morning Jacket, A$AP Rocky, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Weezer, Greta Van Fleet, Kacey Musgraves and Foster The People. Dig deeper and Billy Idol, Sheck Wes, Run D.M.C., Blackbear, Billie Eilish and more are all in there. This flyer clearly states “NOT FOR PUBLICATION,” but apparently the internet doesn’t care. Since it has already leaked, here it is. Please note, this is not a real lineup. It’s best we wait until Bonnaroo makes an official lineup announcement before we get our hopes up. Bonnaroo 2019 Fake Lineup This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: That Bonnaroo Lineup Leak Going Around Isn’t Real. Sorry. Source

The Pitch: 33 years after he killed Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and was pummeled by Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) deep within the Soviet Union, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) returns for vengeance. This time, however, the one doing the breaking is his son, Viktor (Florian Munteanu), who’s hungry for Creed’s (Michael B. Jordan) world title and a chance to drag the Drago name out of the frozen Russian mud. Here’s the rub: Whereas Drago’s coming from a shattered family, Creed’s starting to build his own, something that’s not lost on the ol’ Italian Stallion, who tells our titular hero early on: “In the ring, you got rules. Outside, you got nothing. Life hits you with all these cheap shots. People like me, we live in the past. You got people that need you now. You got everything to lose, this guy has got nothing to lose.” Go ahead and cue Bill Conti. Ain’t Nothin’ Over ‘Til It’s Over (And Nothin’s Ever Over): If this all sounds redundant, it should. Without spoiling anything, there’s nothing narratively surprising about Creed II. The ebbs and flows of the story are incredibly predictable, and anyone who’s even remotely familiar with this franchise could probably tell you what happens without buying a ticket. What connects the punches, though, is what’s always been the strength of the Rocky franchise — the drama. After all, the reason why Stallone’s 1976 original swept the Academy Awards the following year is because of everything that happens outside of the ring. It’s a love story wrapped up in a crowd-pleasing underdog tale. Ryan Coogler understood that, which is why 2015’s Creed was such a breath of fresh air. The film was less concerned with the archetypal matchups that had dumbed down the franchise and was more intrigued by the street-level drama that made it so palatable. Of the five sequels prior to Creed, only two ever came close to reclaiming that dramatic spirit: 1979’s Rocky II and 2006’s Rocky Balboa. The rest are clunky ’80s arcade games, slotting in one cartoonish villain after another. By far the most gluttonous of the bunch is 1985’s Rocky IV, which capitalized on Creed’s harrowing death with an endless parade of ludicrous montages and Nintendo dialogue, all fueled by radical ’80s nationalism that hasn’t aged in the slightest. But as we all know now, Coogler found the seeds to his own story within that macho madness, and those seeds continue to flourish in Steven Caple Jr.’s sequel, even as it has to contend with the more garish extravagances of its source material. Those extravagances wind up adding to the film’s predictability, but again, it’s not about who wins or loses, it’s about who’s winning or losing. And for the first time since Rocky II, that extends to both sides of the ring. Child Is Father of the Man: Twelve years after Rocky Balboa, Stallone returns to the typewriter alongside first-time scribe Juel Taylor, swapping in for Coogler and co-writer Aaron Covington, and while their script lacks the punctuality, humor, and finesse of its predecessor, it doubles down on the drama in all the right places. Stallone channels his inner William Wordsworth and frames the entire story around a surprisingly nuanced meditation on the complexities of fatherhood. For starters, the Dragos are no longer a product of Cyberdyne Systems; they’re now bastards of a country that has long since turned on them. Gone is the lifeless Ivan Drago of yesteryear and in its place is a man of humility, who’s taken his failure out on a son who looks like he could swallow his father whole. Stallone wisely gives this relationship time to breathe, and avoids another rehash of Rocky IV, which would have been all too easy given today’s political climate. Naturally, these themes extend to our titular hero, who finds himself in an existential mess when the sins of his father’s past come knocking just as his own future is about to begin. As he’s wont to do, Stallone leaves most of this struggle to performance, and Jordan relishes the opportunity, thriving in the quieter moments. There’s a particularly moving moment between he and Tessa Thompson, where the two share a tearful gaze as they speak with doctors. Bringing it all home, however, is Stallone, who writes himself what may appears to be a tender epilogue for his iconic role. Although not nearly as devastating as his Oscar-nominated turn in Creed, Balboa has his moments, tying up some emotional loose ends over things that were left on the table in Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa. How he manages to weave them into the overall narrative and align them with the film’s ensuing themes is quite impressive. Does It Work Without Coogler? Yes and no. While Caple Jr. has no problem framing gorgeous scenery — there’s a wonderful montage out in the desert, stocked full of poster-worthy portraits — he lacks the charisma that Coogler brought behind the camera. Think back to all of those dizzying tracking shots on the way to the ring, or how Coogler employed cuts to add some levity to a situation. That style is sorely missing here. The Verdict: Creed 2 is the film MGM probably wanted Ryan Coogler to make in 2015. Almost anyone else would have gone straight into the Drago cookie jar and delivered another predictable Rocky film, with all the bells and whistles that came before. That didn’t happen, and Coogler was able to deliver an original story involving the Creed name, one that didn’t feel the need to stand too tall on ceremony, and more importantly, one that was emotional. So there was admittedly reason to be concerned when the sequel was announced and news emerged that a) Drago would return and b) Coogler would not. Those fears were mostly for naught, as Creed 2 is a commendable chapter in the franchise, thriving from a strong commitment to character, mostly thanks to Stallone’s reverence to his own legacy and the new one being created for Jordan. As he says in the film, it’s Creed’s time, and this film absolutely makes that argument. For how much longer, well, that’s to be debated. As we learned with the original Rocky sequels, there are only so many ways you can keep this story going without resorting to lame hijinks like Mr. T or street brawls or talking robots. Fortunately for this series, Creed 2 has already reconciled the past, which leaves a long, empty road ahead, one that doesn’t hinge on Stallone or familiar faces like Drago. There’s just Adonis, and unlike what his father says, there is a tomorrow. Trailer: Source

The Pitch: A road movie, a buddy comedy, and a mid-century racial polemic bump into each other at a bar. Here’s Green Book, a new dramedy from 50% of the Farrelly brothers (Peter, here). In the great tradition of many movies “inspired by a true story”, here’s one packed with all sorts of clichés, stereotypes, and other easy cues for holiday season viewing. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) was a gifted Jamaican-born classical pianist who came to prominence in the 1950s and ‘60s. His style was tight, controlled, and yet still rambunctiously fast atop the keys. Shirley was an iconoclast, a piano prodigy since age three with PhDs in psychology whose career lasted for decades. Did you know he performed experiments to examine the links between music and juvenile crime in Chicago? Fascinating guy. But you won’t learn that in this movie. Nah, we’re here to bust chops and stuff as the stiff, uptight piano man hits the road for a predominantly middle-and-southern American tour in 1962. His driver/muscle/get-out-of-jail-free-card Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) is along for the ride. They laugh, they learn, they talk fried chicken and drink Cutty Sark. What more do you want, eh? The Right and Wrong Notes: On paper, this sounds like a rocky road. Driving Miss Daisy for a new era. A staid, attitude-driven road movie. White people get to feel good about themselves as black characters speak about dignity in the face of modern American savagery. A new world friendship, delivered in old-timey ‘60s vernacular to make emotions and social statements easily palatable. Realistically, Green Book ought to be released with a disclaimer, to remind you to question the authenticity of every last curious choice it makes. For one, the axis of power from the get-go leans toward Vallelonga. He’s introduced first. He speaks far more. He tells broad jokes, and is often given license to lecture Shirley; not only does he tell the musician to lighten up during the tour, but Vallelonga even goes so far as to argue that he’s blacker than Shirley because he grew up on the streets. (That scene in particular, which does try to evolve, will be a litmus test for audiences.) For Shirley, there’s a rich history behind the real-life pianist, portrayed here as a man struggling with his identity at every turn. His intellectualism is off-putting to Vallelonga, and in the film it isolates the artist from both his native black community and the adoring (but distant) white fans he plays for. He’s a prude and condescending (enigmatic and handsome, too), but certainly not fun like Vallelonga. Nothing hugely provocative happens, and the friendship merely seems to suggest that we could all stand to learn something, whatever it is. But – and this is a considerable but – the two leads carry the the movie. A lot of the jokes, conversations, and small dramatic moments? They land. Green Book, which cannot fully be excused for its ham-fisted attempts at chummy racial discourse, is best viewed as a historical fable. It’s sincerely trying to make a statement in slogan form. Shirley and Vallelonga can get along, which will come as no surprise to just about any 2018 viewer, but the duo sells it. The two, snippy as they can get, have a certain amount of respect for their differences. Mortensen goes full “black hair and gold chain” stereotype, and he’s fed excessively over-the-top material. Ever see Aragorn house an entire pizza? But he seems to be having such a good time. And with Ali, omissions and innuendo aside, there’s still a certain grace and élan that the Oscar winner gives to Shirley. It’s in his affinity for Steinways, and in his lavish rock star home life. Neither man is a perfect characterization, but maybe that’s the point. They’re solid foils. Wheel Deal: Peter Farrelly, co-king of crass cinema from 1994-2000, might seem like an odd choice for such a weighty story, but it’s a workable enough fit. For one, he’s thoroughly experienced in road movies. Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, Me, Myself, and Irene? All movies about odd pairs bonding behind the wheel, and Green Book feels almost like a natural extension. Those road flicks showed that Farrelly can deliver a joke better than most, and that same knack makes for one of Green Book’s better qualities. A terrible line about Pittsburgh being nicknamed “Tits-burgh” would fail in many a director’s hand, but Farrelly delivers it with dumb confidence from Viggo’s mouth. And Ali, sniping at his valet’s piss-poor letter writing skills, has a certain airy confidence rooted in classical comedy about snooty people. Ali demanding that Frank back up their car to retrieve litter is a nice little side gag on this film’s uneven road. What else are you gonna talk about on long rides? Just joking around is okay, at least sometimes. The Verdict: Green Book means so well, and admittedly, it just gets by on its leads and its good humor. Perhaps that’s evasive, and we need to be hard on this, for many reasons. Farrelly seems to give give his leads a pass on deep-rooted animosities at times, waving a hand and brushing off deeper ideas with strategically deployed laughs. The actual elements of racism are often handled as either uncomfortable interruptions or stand-offs. One could argue that as curative, or perhaps disingenuous. It’s hard to tell, because there really is an amiable laughability within the film. This is, as the marketing wants you to believe, a feel-good flick. Mostly. Just enough to make you not fold your arms in total disdain at the film’s preferential star treatment of Vallelonga (note: this movie was co-written by his real-life son, so take that with a grain of salt), or its casually PG-13 dissemination of race relations in 1962. And that’s why it’s perhaps best to see the film as a farce, as bumpy ride through the Jim Crow South where no one truly gets hurt (thank god), bonds are tested and forged, and we all learn a smidgen about ourselves along the way. Green Book gets dangerously close to driving off the road at times, but it still gets to where it needs to go. Where’s It Playing?: Everywhere for Thanksgiving. Trailer: Source

Many of us have had an experience where something we’ve thought to be true our entire life is suddenly revealed to us to be completely wrong. Comedian Sean Jordan had such a moment on the podcast All Fantasy Everything when he learned it was actually “throw caution to the wind” and not “throw Kosh into the wind.” Well, now the host of AFE, Late Late Show co-head writer and stand-up Ian Karmel, has set off an international incident over another pronunciation dispute: Blink-182. As NME points out, Karmel started the war of articulation when he noted on Twitter that “The British call Blink-182 ‘Blink One Eight Two’ and I’m not saying that’s WHY they lost the Revolutionary War, but…” When British fans asked the comic how we Americans say it, he informed them it was (correctly) “one eighty-two.” He also does a pretty killer pop punk singer impression, so you know you can trust him. But things got even stickier from there. Karmel’s boss, James Corden (the man whose silly pronunciation kick started the debate), also weighed in. He admitted that, yes, his British diction is wrong — but strictly speaking, so is the American way. “They technically should be called Blink one hundred and eighty two,” he quipped. “Don’t take some moral high ground here.” Finally, it took a member of Blink-182 to solve the debate. In his own tweet, Mark Hoppus suggested that either “one eight two” or “one eighty-two” was fine. That is, as long as you get the capitalization correct, which apparently none of us have done for decades. “But in all of this, I feel like we’ve lost sight of the fact that the B in blink-182 should be lower-case,” Hoppus wrote. And then your mind exploded. Former Blink blink member Tom DeLonge also chimed in, though in the sort of dick-ish way a scorned ex-bandmate might. “It’s actually— Blink eighteen-two,” he joked, adding, “People have all gotten this wrong for years. Sometimes this can happen with very complex, thoughtful and elevated art.” Got ’em, Tom. How’re those UFO studies going? What it comes down to, though, is if you don’t pronounce Blink-182 as “blink one eighty-two,” you’re a chav, bruv. Find all the relevant tweets below. The British call Blink-182 “Blink One Eight Two” and I’m not saying that’s WHY they lost the Revolutionary War, but… — Karmitzvah (@IanKarmel) November 19, 2018 This is becoming an international incident. @tomdelonge, @markhoppus – will you weigh in? https://t.co/AK1Fof6zj4 — Karmitzvah (@IanKarmel) November 19, 2018 Don’t start this. I admit we are wrong on this. America calls them Blink One eighty two. Which is also wrong. They technically should be called Blink one hundred and eighty two. Don’t take some moral high ground here. https://t.co/zm2Gpb6xtT — James Corden (@JKCorden) November 19, 2018 Thank you James. Some say one eighty two. Some say one eight two. But in all of this, I feel like we’ve lost sight of the fact that the B in blink-182 should be lower-case. https://t.co/d3Gi2Ezmhu — stuffing and marked potatoes (@markhoppus) November 19, 2018 It’s actually— Blink eighteen-two. People have all gotten this wrong for years. Sometimes this can happen with very complex, thoughtful and elevated art. https://t.co/jmsfv401KF — Tom DeLonge (@tomdelonge) November 19, 2018 Source

The Lowdown: Anderson .Paak first recorded under the pseudonym Breezy Lovejoy, and that’s not a bad description of his music. This is not to say that the rapper-singer-producer is some sort of fountain of positivity — he’s a thinking man in 2018, after all. But even as he wades through the muck of police brutality and President Trump, .Paak radiates joy — a joy that warms the ear the same way sunshine warms the face. After his 2014 debut, Venice, put him on the map, he stole the show on Dr. Dre’s Compton, and 2016’s Malibu established .Paak as both a critical darling and an artistic powerhouse. Now, for his major label debut on Dre’s Aftermath, he continues the grand tour of the California coastline by heading north to Oxnard, the place where he was born. Like its predecessors, Oxnard updates the sound of ‘90’s California hip-hop. This is post-gangsta music — G-Funk with a silent ‘g.’ Though aware of the legacy of violence and death, Oxnard is a celebration of life. The Good: As you might expect from a project executive produced by Dr. Dre, the beats are rich and rewarding. .Paak and Dre team up on “Mansu Musa”, an ode to opulence named after the 14th century African emperor thought to be the single wealthiest individual in history. .Paak has a voice like liquid smoke, one of the great rasps of modern times, and he’s equally comfortable singing or spitting bars. “Who R U?” is a rap showcase that straight slaps. On “Trippy”, he brings his soulful crooning to a woozy tale of love. The guest verses are surprising and strong. Pusha-T (“Brother’s Keeper”) and BJ the Chicago Kid (“Sweet Chick”) nearly steal their songs. Q-Tip continues his late-career renaissance with “Cheers”, and on “Anywhere”, Snoop Dogg sounds positively awake. But the best collaboration — and indeed, the one truly great song on the album — is “Tints”, featuring Kendrick Lamar, a lush and glorious ode to putting the top down and driving slowly through the sunshine. The Bad: The worst part of almost any rap album are the skits, and Oxnard is no exception. An awkward sketch about getting head on the highway ends in a crash: isn’t that hilarious? A girlfriend bursts in on .Paak with a side-chick and can’t decide who to kill first: isn’t that comical? Even if the slurping sounds weren’t disgusting — and they are, they are absolutely stomach churning — the “funny” parts aren’t that funny. There are a few other minor missteps, most notably the faux-Jamaican patois of “Left to Right”. It’s more mediocre than bad, but it’s also the album closer, which means Oxnard ends with a rare wrong note, a moment of inauthenticity. The Verdict: Oxnard boasts several great moments, but the album is merely good. Perhaps that “merely” feels unfair, but .Paak is a victim of his own successes: his star-making turn on Compton and his underground classic Malibu. He’s still witty and endearing, with one of the most iconic voices in hip-hop today. He’s still capable, on any given song, of sounding like the greatest rapper in the world. A slight lack of focus, and an ending that’s more of a whimper than a bang, detract from an otherwise impressive major label debut. Essential Tracks: “Tints”, “Who R U?”, and “Brother’s Keeper” Source

The immersive exhibition David Bowie Is made its final stop at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City earlier this year, wrapping up a world tour that drew over two million viewers across twelve cities. Now, those who weren’t fortunate enough to see the exhibition in person will be able to experience the magic of Bowie’s personal archives with an augmented reality mobile app. Set for release on January 8th, which would have been the Starman’s 72nd birthday, the app will be available on iOS and Android, and will grant fans access to hundreds of costumes, videos, handwritten lyrics, and original works of art that were featured in the collection. According to a press release, the augmented reality component of the release is the first of its kind, and “mirrors the physical exhibition through a sequence of audio-visual spaces through which the works and artifacts of Bowie’s life can be explored.” Costumes and other objects are presented in special 3D, 360-degree renderings that are enabled with “behind the glass” features that provide extra insights to each piece. The experience will be enhanced by an immersive audio experience, including music and narration, which will be available in seven different languages. The release will also feature nearly sixty items that were not featured in the original show, which will be exclusive only to the app. “The augmented reality adaptation of David Bowie is enables you to explore the entire exhibition in the intimacy of your own environment, without glass barriers, vitrines or throngs of visitors,” reads the newly updated exhibition website. “View it at your leisure or jump directly to the things you love. Revisit as often as you like and save any item to your own collection within the app. This spectacular iteration of the iconic exhibition is yours forever.” The app is a collaboration between the David Bowie Archive and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., which hosted the show’s Tokyo stop in early 2017. Planeta, a New York-based studio, was tasked with designing and developing the augmented and virtual reality interpretations of the exhibition’s first installation, which ran at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London from March 23rd to August 11th, 2013. A fully immersive virtual reality version of the collection will be released later in 2019. Source

Made for artists and influencers alike, EditFrame is the new way to add music and text to gifs, videos, and images for shareable, fun content. EditFrame was created as a simple-to-use alternative to complicated software’s like FinalCut and iMovie, it’s a quick way to create promotional or viral content for social media platforms and websites like Youtube and Vimeo. https://www.instagram.com/p/BcBmpKcBqYE/?taken-by=fromthemindofseanleon Who’s using EditFrame? EditFrame has already found a home at major record labels like FutureClassics, Atlantic Records and Dirty Bird. With countless options, EditFrame can cater to every creator’s needs from podcasters to musicians. As an artist, bringing visuals and audio together in a quick and easy way can be incredibly efficient and is essential now more than ever in regards to creating unique content that can further your brand in the industry. What features does it have? The totally free to use website allows you to add music/audio to pictures, videos and gifs to make marketable content or memes. Converts any content into a video format that is a much more effective way to market content for musicians by making it possible to post music directly to Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. You can also resize existing videos for various platforms with different aspect ratios, mute existing audio and replace with your own, trim video down to the desired length, create video profile images for Facebook, and turn images INTO videos! Overall, a great unique resource for creating diverse, shareable content that can even be turned into ads for Instagram and Facebook! Need I say more? Source: EditFrameHow easy is it? With a long list of features, EditFrame seems no different than any other editing software. But I think we can all agree on how much of a pain those are to use. EditFrame takes all the essential tools you would need to make cool, relevant content and puts it onto one clear and clean looking site. No more confusion on what tool to use for what, EditFrame spells it all out. Perfect for someone with no editing experience, and stress relieving for people with years of beef with Final Cut Pro. EditFrame is far from overwhelming, and I highly recommend it for anyone trying to make an impression in any social media-driven industry. With an app coming in 2019 and a free site at your fingertips, why wait? Check out EditFrame now! The post Introducing EditFrame: The Website Bringing Memes to the Music World appeared first on Verge Campus. Source

ASAP Rocky is less than six months removed from his excellent album Testing, but already he’s back to gift fans with new material. Today he’s shared a new song titled “Sundress”, which noticeably includes a sample of the 2010 Tame Impala cut “Why You Won’t Make Up Your Mind?”. The softly psychedelic cut also features co-production from Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse. Check it out below via its corresponding music video. Helmed by director Frank Lebon, it follows Rocky as he spends quality time with a girlfriend and hits up a club where everything seems frozen in time. Rumors of a proper Rocky and Tame Impala collaboration have been circulating for years. Back in 2014, a Rocky track titled “Unicorn” featuring a sample of Tame Impala’s “Feels Like It Only Goes Backwards” surfaced online, but never was officially released. And in 2017, it was believed Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker was producing a song called “Pretty Guy” for Rocky’s upcoming album, though it never materialized on the final tracklist. In January, Rocky will embark on his “Injured Generation” tour behind Testing; find the full itinerary here. As for Parker, he’s been busy in the studio with another rapper: Theophilus London. Their joint project, dubbed Theo Impala, recently dropped a music video for their “Only You” single. Source

Aside from his own music, much of Marshmello’s rise in stardom can be attributed to the business acumen of his manager, Moe Shalizi, and the management firm by which he is employed, Red Light. Or, was employed… According to a report from Billboard which cites unnamed sources, Shalizi is gearing up to leave Red Light and start his own firm. Shalizi’s own roster at Red Light is formidable in the dance music world, including Jauz, Ookay, Slushii, Ghastly, Sikdope and Southside of 808 Mafia, whom Shalizi would all be taking with him to his new firm. Shalizi joined Red Light Management in 2014 after Jauz broke out with the hit “Feel The Volume.” The following year, he debuted the Marshmello project and the rest is history. Both Shalizi and Marshmello were recently featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 list. This wouldn’t be a particularly major hit to Red Light, which also manages Tiësto, Odesza, Ferry Corsten and others, but it would still hurt as Marshmello is currently the 13th most listened to artist on Spotify. Shalizi declined to comment when reached out to. Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: REPORT: Marshmello Manager Moe Shalizi Leaving Red Light To Create Independent Firm Source

Thank god St. Petersburg, FL, has forever been a shitty place for music. Otherwise, a young and very straggly Billy Corgan might not have returned home to Chicago to form The Smashing Pumpkins. Equal thanks goes to Metro Cabaret owner Joe Shanahan, whose insistence that the band find a drummer led to the discovery and recruitment of jazz percussionist Jimmy Chamberlin. Without him, it’s very likely Corgan would have spent years attempting to recreate Seventeen Seconds, Faith, or Pornography in lieu of the rock gems that framed most of the ’90s. What separates the Pumpkins from most of their contemporaries, however, is their mired past. Controversy, chaos, conflict, and corruption strangled the band’s foundation for years: from the hellish recording sessions behind 1993’s Siamese Dream, to the bitter spats with an indie Rolodex of Pavement, Steve Albini, and Bob Mould, and eventually to the tragedies surrounding Chamberlin’s dark, druggy days amidst 1998’s Adore. It’s a difficult task being a Pumpkin, and heavy is the head who wears the crown, aka the Pumpkin King himself, Mr. Corgan. _______________________________________________________ Download | Listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Radio Public | Stitcher | RSS _______________________________________________________ Shuffles in the lineup, a vitriolic media, and a fractured fanbase haven’t been kind to Corgan over the years — and yet, he keeps waving the moniker. Although we’ll never get a true-blue reunion — sorry, D’arcy Wretzky — this year’s lineup of Billy, Jimmy, James Iha, and Jeff Schroeder comes pretty damn close. Shiny and Oh So Bright Vol. 1 isn’t exactly what fans were expecting, but proves there’s a life to this team, at least enough to keep us around for Vol. 2, should Corgan stay the course and not drop this Kaleidyscope. In celebration of their tenth studio album, we decided to put their catalogue to the test and rank every single studio album. Sadly, that means no B-sides compilations like Pisces Iscariot, The Aeroplane Flies High, or Judas O, and certainly not their expansive selection of EPs as varied as Lull, American Gothic, or both Teargarden releases. Sorry. Maybe one day. For now, these 10 exhaustive dissections should prove revelatory enough to either get you nodding in approval or foaming at the mouth like a rat in a cage. Next time, I promise we’ll be perfect. –Michael Roffman Editor-in-Chief _______________________________________________________ Source