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Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) has received the title for the world’s largest festival and business conference for electronic music. They have just announced their first round of artists and we couldn’t be more ready. The event will run from October 17-21 and will include a plethora of programs including photography, film, and art as well as displaying the latest trends in technology. The ADE director Richard Zijlma spoke out and claimed, “We’re almost at the point of reaching the magical 400,000 visitors mark, and we still see lots of opportunities to grow. ADE aims to be a world stage for musical talent and the music industry. With visitors from more than 100 countries now you can confidently claim that Amsterdam is truly the beating heart of the worldwide music industry during ADE, while being at the same time a breading ground for cultural and technological innovation for five days and nights.” Aside from these incredible stats, the ADE Beats program which draws in fans of hip-hop has had rapid growth as well. In 2017, ADE brought in more than 2,500 artists and 550 speakers from a record breaking 160 locations. Check out the first selection of artists below. To learn more about this unique event, click here! The post First Round Of Artists Announced For Amsterdam Dance Event appeared first on EDM Maniac. Source

Robert Glasper has some strong words for Ms. Lauryn Hill, as Vulture points out. During an appearance on Houston radio station KBXX’s “The Mad Hatta Morning Show”, the Grammy-winning jazz and R&B artist accused Hill of stealing music for her groundbreaking 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. He also said Hill repeatedly mistreated her band members. “OK, you steal music,” Glasper stated matter of factly, referring to Hill. “Miseducation was made by great musicians and producers that I know, personally…. So you got a big hand off of music that you didn’t even write,” he added. “She took the credit for making the classic album,” Glasper added. “Those songs were written by other people, and they did not get their credit. She likes to take credit so she can become this super person. If you’re a super person and you’re that talented… do it!” Glasper brought up Stevie Wonder as an example of a “super person” who does his own work: “I’ve met Stevie Wonder and hung out with Stevie Wonder. I’ve met Quincy Jones and hung out with Quincy Jones. I’ve met Herbie Hancock; hung out with Herbie Hancock. If those three people can be cool, Lauryn Hill should be able to be cool. You haven’t done enough to be the way you are. You just have not. The one thing you did that was great, you didn’t do.” Glasper also claimed Hill had a habit of demanding a lot from her band members as well as stiffing them out of their payment. He relayed an anecdote from 2008, in which he participated in multiple 10-hour rehearsals for a concert that lasted a total of 20 minutes: “Every day she comes in and changes the show, changes what she wants to do. Completely. The last rehearsal, she doesn’t show up. Her manager comes in and says, “Lauryn’s not really feeling the way you guys have been learning the music, so we’re gonna cut your pay in half.” The last rehearsal. The day before the show. ‘We’re gonna cut your pay in half.’ First of all, we weren’t getting paid that much anyway, but understand she’s getting half-a-million dollars. So, seriously? You’re gonna take these five musicians and cut their pay in half?” Glasper said he’s since turned down numerous projects offered by Hill. As Pitchfork notes, New Ark, a group of musicians that contributed to Miseducation, sued Hill back in 1998 for using “their songs and production skills but failed to properly credit them for the work.” The legal dispute was eventually settled out of court in 2001. Watch a full clip of Glasper’s Hill comments below. In other news, Glasper has announced an extensive residency at the intimate, historic Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. Set for October, the residency’s spans 48 shows over a total of 24 nights, as well as includes a revolving door of special guests. “First of all, I couldn’t do this anywhere else,” Glasper excitedly told Billboard. “I came to New York tracking other people’s footsteps — and now it’s me and the musicians that I came up with who are making footprints for the next generation to follow. New York is the reason everything popped off for me. It’s the only place in the world with this heavy traffic of quintessential, true jazz and quintessential, true hip hop; the only place I could have met these people and made this music.” October 2-7: Robert Glasper with Chris Dave & Derrick Hodge October 9-10: Robert Glasper: Houston Nights featuring Kendrick Scott, Michael Moreno, Burniss Travis & Walter Smith October 11-14: TBA October 16-17: Robert Glasper with Christian McBride & Nicholas Payton October 18-21: Robert Glasper: Miles Davis Tribute “Everything’s Beautiful” with Bilal October 23-24: Robert Glasper: Mulgrew Miller Tribute featuring Derrick Hodge & Rodney Green October 25-28: Robert Glasper: R+R=NOW featuring Terrace Martin, Christian Scott aTunde Adujah, Derrick Hodge, Taylor McFerrin & Justin Tyson Source

He may have made love in an elevator, but that does not mean that Steven Tyler doesn’t need his space. The Aerosmith frontman was damn-near assaulted by a selfie-taking fan during the band’s appearance on NBC’s Today show this morning, and the legendary rocker promptly shoved the overzealous young man away. Tyler and his bandmates were making their way through the crowd for their interview and performance, giving high fives, when a dude jumped out in front of the singer and aggressively put his arm around his neck to take a selfie. The rocker ducked under the fan’s arm and pushed him away, as seen in the Twitter video below: @IamStevenT has a no Touch/Selfie policy! @TODAYshow pic.twitter.com/r7pvEzqx6H — Darth Hendrick (@DarthHendrick) August 15, 2018 Seeing the Tweet, which claimed that Steven Tyler “has a no touch/selfie policy,” Tyler himself responded, saying, “No time, bro-this is LIVE TELEVISION! Come to the show if you want an intimate experience.” No time, bro-this is LIVE TELEVISION! Come to the show if you want an intimate experience #AerosmithToday https://t.co/t01QU5RwOu — Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) August 15, 2018 The intimate experience Tyler was referring to was Aerosmith’s 2019 Las Vegas residency, which we reported on earlier today. The band has booked 18 shows at the Park Theater at the Park MGM resort, beginning in April. A longer version of the selfie incident can be seen in the YouTube video below. Source

DJ Muggs has unleashed a provocative music video for “Assassination Day”, the title track of his latest album. Directed by the Cypress Hill member himself, it depicts the assassination of presidential hopeful Kanye West. The clip is set in 2020 — the year Kanye originally hoped to run for office — and follows as a van of gunmen disguised as cleaners take their position at a Kanye rally. Supporters can be seen holding up signs like “Keep America Great” and “Slavery Was A Choice” — quoting Kanye’s own unfortunate comments to TMZ in May. The black-and-white visual closes with a scene featuring Donald Trump and best friend Vladimir Putin laughing at a TV news segment about the assassination. Watch below. “Assassination Day” features contributions from MF DOOM and Kool G Rap. The album itself dropped last Friday and also boasted guest spots from Freddie Gibbs and Raekwon. A statement describes the LP as a “thematic album with a vigilante concept where hip-hop takes corruption head-on, figuratively killing off powerful evildoers in positions of power as the story unfolds.” In related news, Cypress Hill recently announced their first album in eight years, Elephants on Acid. Source

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher | YouTube | RSS In this week’s installment of Kyle Meredith With…, MC5 guitarist and punk legend Wayne Kramer speaks about his new book, The Hard Stuff, his experiences in jail and with law enforcement, and the realities of Detroit in the late ’60s. Of course, Kramer also touches on the 50th anniversary of MC5, which will tour North America this fall. He also details his new band with Mike Doughty. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Each episode, Meredith digs deep into an artist’s work to find out how the music is made and where their journey is going, from legendary artists like Robert Plant, Paul McCartney, U2 and Bryan Ferry, to the newer class of The National, St. Vincent, Arctic Monkeys, Haim, and Father John Misty. Check back Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for new episodes. Rate the series now via iTunes. Follow on Facebook | Podchaser | Twitter Source

After scoring big with their Kendrick Lamar collaboration on the Black Panther soundtrack, California rap quartet SOB x RBE shared their debut studio album, Gangin, back in February. Just about half a year later, the group has announced a direct follow-up called Gangin II. While no firm release date has been revealed for the new album, a press release notes it “will be arriving soon.” As a taste of what the sequel will sound like, though, SOB x RBE have shared the lead single “Vibes”. With synths twinkling like neon lights and punchy bars, the track can be heard below. SOB x RBE have been hitting up festivals across the country this summer, and their next stop is Philadelphia’s Made in America. Once fall hits, they’ll head back out on the road for their Global Gangin tour. Find their docket below. SOB x RBE 2018 Tour Dates: 09/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ Made in America Festival 10/04 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza 10/06 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall 10/08 – Detroit, MI @ Shelter 10/10 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge 10/11 – St. Louis, MO @ Fubar 10/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Loft at Center Stage 10/19 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Press Room 10/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theatre 10/22 – Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece – Ballroom 10/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Grand at The Complex 10/25 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory 10/26 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory 10/27 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox 10/28 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater 12/06 – Berlin, DE @ Gretchen 12/07 – Frankfurt, DE @ Zoom 12/08 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet 12/09 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique 12/11 – Paris, FR @ La Bellevilloise 12/12 – London, UK @ XOYO 12/13 – Dublin, IE @ Green Room Source

Earlier this year, Burial teamed up with The Bug for a collaborative project, which followed a 2017 that saw releases like “Rodent”, the surprise Subtemple EP, and the “Pre Dawn”/”Indoors” 12-inch. Now, the dubstep legend has teamed with another UK producer in Kode9, with whom he’s releasing the 100th and final installment of the Fabric nightclub’s FABRICLIVE mix series. The 74-minute mix is due out on September 28th, and only then will its tracklist be released. The mix will be available digitally and on CD, though you can also purchase a copy on vinyl, which features the unmixed tracks across four plates. Pre-orders are available here. Pitchfork reports that, though the FABRICLIVE series is coming to an end, fabric says “a new era of mixes will start next year after FABRICLIVE 100 is released in October.” See a rare photo of Burial above, as well as the cover art for the mix down below. FABRICLIVE 100 Artwork: Source

Sad news to report, as Randy Rampage, former singer for the legendary Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator, has passed away at the age of 58. Rampage was also an original member of the Canadian hardcore punk band D.O.A. Rampage, whose real name was Randall Desmond Archibald, was a member of Annihilator for their debut album, 1989’s Alice in Hell, but left shortly after its release. He returned to the band for another stint, from 1998-2000, during which time he appeared on the band’s 1999 album, Criteria for a Black Widow. As mentioned, Randy was also a founding member of the Canadian punk band D.O.A., in which he played bass and handled some vocal duties. After being fired from the band in 1982, he rejoined the group for two more stints in the 21st century. No cause of death has been revealed for Rampage. His passing was announced by the Facebook page for Bloodied But Unbowed, a documentary on Vancouver’s punk scene. Footage of Rampage’s reunion with Annihilator in the late ’90s and a D.O.A. music video from the ’70s can be seen below. Source

Here’s the story of a gigantic fool who thinks there’s some kind of demarcation between punk and politics. Tim Hildebrand, a Trump-supporting farmer, was shocked, apparently, to learn that Social Disortion’s Mike Ness, a 40-year vet of the punk scene, was critical of right-leaning politicians. After Ness trashed our president onstage at a July 17th show at Sacramento’s Ace of Spades, Hildebrand found it necessary to verbally spar and hold up his middle finger (for multiple songs) in “silent protest.” Surprise, the 56-year old Ness, who’s been quite vocal about his distaste for Trump as of late, did not appreciate that. In the below video, you can see Ness offer up both a loogie and a finger of his own before diving into the crowd to throw some punches. Hildebrand left the show with two black eyes, a busted lip, and a concussion. He claims that he “wasn’t able to defend myself” due to people in the crowd holding him back. Not very alpha, bro. “I pretty much said I paid for your music, not your politics,” Hildebrand told CBS-13, adding that he plans to press charges against Ness. “I stood pretty much with my silent protest with my middle finger up for the next two songs.” He added, “If he wants to have a talk someday, man to man, I would love that but he would have to not be a child about it.” No, conservatism is not the new punk rock. Y’all are just fucking annoying. Sacramento Police are investigating the incident. Source

A member of the popular Danish hard rock band D-A-D has turned the tables on audience members who hold up their iPhones to film concerts: he plays a giant iPhone-like bass that actually films the crowd while he’s performing. Bassist Stig Pederson must have some strong shoulders, because the body of the iPhone bass looks like it’s about 4 feet wide by 2 feet high. One of the band’s tech guys, Troels Bjorn, can be seen in the YouTube video below presenting a look at Stig’s two-string basses, and they’re all impressive. When he gets to the iPhone bass, he explains that it’s actually a monitor that is equipped to livestream the audience as Stig plays. You can also check out a Facebook video of Stig and his iPhone bass in action at a recent D-A-D show. Source

The Kinks have announced a 50th anniversary reissue of their landmark 1968 album, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. Available via BMG on October 26th, the deluxe box set comes loaded with 174 tracks, including a number of previously unreleased recordings and alternative takes. To coincide with the announcement, the band has revealed one such unheard track, “Time Song”. “Time Song” was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Dury Lane in January 1973 as part of a celebration for Britain’s entry into the Common Market. However, as Ray Davies explained in a press release, the song was more about subtle commentary then celebratory notions. (Read: Kick Out the Jams: How the Music of 1968 Mirrored the Year’s Revolutionary Spirit) “I decided to use the song as a warning that time was running out for the old British Empire,” Davies said. “This song was recorded a few weeks later but never made the final cut on the [1973 concept album] Preservation Act I. Oddly enough, the song seems quite poignant and appropriate to release at this time in British history, and like Europe itself the track is a rough mix which still has to be finessed.” Take a listen to “Time Song” via its lyric video below. Housed in a debossed box with foil and metallic text and a linen cloth finish, the Village Green Preservation Society box set includes a double-LP with new stereo and mono remasters; the Swedish version of the original LP; five CDs that include bonus tracks, B-sides, alternate mixes, and previously unreleased songs; three faithfully reproduced 7-inch singles, a 52-page hardback book; and memorabilia like tour posters, reproduced signatures, and sheet music. There are also extensive sleeve notes, interviews, and photographs, plus a pair essays by The Who’s Pete Townshend and journalist Kate Mossman. Pre-orders, which are now ongoing, include an exclusive 7-inch single version of “Time Song”. The 50th anniversary release will also be available as a single-disc or double-disc set, pressed on LP or deluxe LP, and as a digital download. In an interview with BBC’s Channel 4 News back in June, Davies suggested The Kinks may be headed for a reunion sometime soon. “I think it’s kind of an appropriate time to do it,” he said, adding that the band is working on an album and their first live shows since 1996. The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society 50th Anniversary Edition Artwork: Source

The Pitch: Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) would just about seem to have it all. She’s a successful economics professor with a specialty in game theory, her partner Nick (Henry Golding) is a total hunk and all-around good dude, and they’re about to take a trip to sunny, lavish Singapore to attend his brother’s wedding (and introduce Rachel to the family). However, a trip reveals that Nick isn’t just any handsome, well-off NYC bachelor. He’s the heir apparent of the Young dynasty, one of China’s richest families. As Rachel’s best friend Peik Lin (Awkwafina) points out, they’re far closer to royalty. Suddenly Rachel is whisked off into a world of opulent homes, island getaways, bitter jealousy, and the sort of top-dollar family secrets that could sink even a pairing as idyllic as Rachel and Nick. Lifestyles of the Rich and Soon-To-Be Famous: Much of the hype surrounding Crazy Rich Asians has focused on the unlikelihood of a big-budget Hollywood production being built around an all-Asian cast, directed by an Asian filmmaker (Jon M. Chu), based on a hit novel by an Asian writer (Kevin Kwan), and aimed largely at Asian audiences, who’ve been served by so many rich global film traditions but far less so in the U.S. over the years. It won’t be long, however, until the story becomes one of how many stars wind up emerging from this film. For one, Wu has been doing solid work for some time now, but here she delivers the kind of radiant, charismatic turn that creates movie stars overnight. Rachel is very much an audience proxy for Chu’s foray into Singapore’s luxurious day and nightlife scenes, and her wonder is quickly replaced by the terror of being thrust into a situation she was left completely unprepared to handle. A lot is asked of Wu throughout the film, and she responds with the kind of genuine magnetism that can’t be feigned by a lesser performer. She may be the film’s MVP, but she’s hardly its only standout. Golding is something of a handsome cipher; he rocks a million-dollar smile, but fully inhabits the tradition of the handsome, near-perfect male lead who’s helpfully oblivious to the machinations of the plot. It’s not exactly one of the film’s juicier roles, but Golding brings a great deal of personality that elevates Nick beyond a story detail. Awkwafina continues her breakout summer as the kind of friend who’s great to have around even when she’s knowingly overstaying her welcome. Gemma Chan, as Nick’s big-hearted sister Astrid, is equally compelling as a woman whose total assurance about herself and her life causes the biggest problems at home. And then there’s Michelle Yeoh, whose Eleanor Young rules over the family with an immediate and decisive clenched fist. In Yeoh’s ever-skilled hands, Eleanor is less a stern maternal stereotype than the film’s most well-articulated character after Rachel, a woman at her own transitional moment in life who worries for the future of her family and the erosion of traditions. That doesn’t mean she has a hard time cutting anyone in her path down without more than a single glance, though. The Verdict: Like so many romantic comedies and/or melodramas about the highs and lows of people for whom money is no object, Crazy Rich Asians is explicitly in the business of lovingly rendered wealth porn, and your enjoyment of it will largely depend upon your tolerance for that sort of thing. It’s a long-form tourism video for the richest oceanside parts of Singapore as much of a movie, and a celebration of unchecked decadence and privilege. Having said that, it’s also a genial enough movie to (mostly) overlook those considerations, or at least breeze past them with frequently arresting splashes of primary color and a sense of breathless editorial verve. Chu helms Crazy Rich Asians with the kind of breezy uptempo style that becomes the film’s engine before long. The romantic comedy beats are familiar enough, but the ways in which the film attacks them gives it a subversive shade that nicely compliments an otherwise straightforward fish-out-of-water story. There are a handful of riffs on the global perception of China as impoverished and repressed alongside a number of richly observed moments (a late-game confrontation over a game of mahjong), and as it passes through mansions and beach hotels one after the next, Crazy Rich Asians emerges as the kind of hyper-specific comedy that winds up reaching a much wider audience through the authenticity of the emotions from scene to scene. Everything from Rachel’s Chinese-American parentage to her unassuming background makes her a target for the many social climbers of Singapore’s elite, and when that extends up to and including certain members of the Young family, the film starts to tangle with fairly heady stuff for a film this hyper-indulgent. Tradition comes into regular conflict with dreamy modernity throughout Crazy Rich Asians, and it makes sense given that the film plays that conflict out through Rachel and Eleanor, through Eleanor and Nick, and through the broader statement the film represents in its entrance into the global mainstream market place. It’s a riff on the long-standing tradition of the secret prince fairy tale, but it’s also an unusually thoughtful take on cross-cultural difference in that it pokes fun at the bizarre customs of other parts of the world without turning them into a punchline. Like the great romantic comedies, it’s made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera, and the film itself comes to exude that same welcoming energy. Even if you’re not the type of viewer Crazy Rich Asians is for, don’t be surprised one bit if you find yourself hooked in before it’s through charming and dazzling you. Where’s It Playing?: Crazy Rich Asians is out around the world now in wide release, on all the biggest and loudest screens. Trailer: Source

Death Valley Girls have today announced their forthcoming album, Darkness Rains. The Los Angeles glam rockers’ third full-length to date, Glow in the Dark follow-up is due out October 5th via Suicide Squeeze. Coinciding with the LP announcement, the band has revealed the video for the effort’s lead single, “Disaster (Is What We’re After)”. The Kansas Bowling-directed clip was shot on 16mm and is a recreation of Andy Warhol’s Eating a Hamburger short film. Only this time, instead of Warhol, the man chomping on the fast food is punk icon Iggy Pop. “We’re strong believers in opti-mysticism and connecting with people through rock n’ roll,“ Death Valley Girls said of the video in a press release. “Having Iggy dig our music was more than amazing for us. When Kansas told us she had a dream about recreating the Andy Warhol Eating a Hamburger short film but with Iggy starring for our music video, we were cautiously excited about the possibility. Next thing we know we’re in Miami with Iggy himself, and a rock n’ roll dream became reality!” As Pop finishes the last bite of his meal, he growls his own take on Warhol’s last line: “I’m Iggy Pop, and I just ate a burger listening to Death Valley Girls.” Check out the one-shot clip below. Pre-orders for Darkness Rains are going on now. Find the artwork and tracklist below. Darkness Rains Artwork: Darkness Rains Tracklist: 01. More Dead 02. (One Less Thing) Before I Die 03. Disaster (Is What We’re After) 04. Unzip Your Forehead 05. Wear Black 06. Abre Camino 07. Born Again and Again 08. Street Justice 09. Occupation: Ghost Writer 10. TV in Jail on Mars In addition to all these goodies, Death Valley Girls have also revealed a run of fall tour dates supporting their new album. Find their schedule below. Death Valley Girls 2018 Tour Dates: 08/26 – Long Beach, CA @ Happy Sundays (FREE) 09/13 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriets * 10/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom ^ 10/04 – Tustin, CA @ Marty’s on Newport ^ 10/05 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah ^ 10/18 – Riverside, CA @ Aurea Vista 10/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse Saloon 10/20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room 10/21 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress 10/23 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas 10/24 – Dallas, TX @ Regal Room 10/25 – Norman, OK @ Opolis 10/26 – Memphis, TN @ The Hi Tone 10/29 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery # 10/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie # 11/01 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge # 11/02 – Cleveland, OH @ The Winchester # 11/03 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx # 11/04 – Chicago, IL @ Beat I am a fagget # 11/05 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club # 11/07 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge # 11/08 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge # 11/09 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic # 11/11 – Chico, CA @ Duffy’s # 11/13 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios # 11/14 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret # 11/15 – Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown # 11/16 – Seattle, WA @ Freakout Festival 11/17 – Eugene, OR @ Old Nicks # 11/20 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop # * = w/ L.A. Witch ^ = w/ Roky Erickson # = w/ Gymshorts Source

The Showbox is safe! For now, at least. After it was announced last week that a British Columbia-based developer had designs to replace the legendary Seattle venue with a 44-story luxury residential tower, a number of musicians signed an open letter rallying for its preservation. Among the vocal supporters were members of Pearl Jam, Guns N’ Roses, and Death Cab for Cutie. On Monday, the Seattle City Council unanimously voted to extend the Pike Place Market historical district to include the Showbox, thus saving it from demolition. The issue? That reprieve expires in June of next year. The good news, however, is that the City Council seems devoted to giving the venue a permanent historical designation. “The Showbox isn’t going anywhere,” said council member Lorena Gonzalez. (Read: Where We Live: ShowBox at the Market – Seattle, WA) The vote came after a number of Seattle locals came forward in its defense, citing that the arrival of yet another luxury apartment complex serves to strip away more and more of the city’s character. “It’s about saving our city,” said council member Kshama Sawant. “The Showbox is integral to the social fabric of the Seattle music scene,” said Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, who asserted that the venue is just “as important as CBGBs, The First Avenue, Filmore East and West, The Troubadour, and Whisky.” Source

Elizabeth Banks is set to star in and produce a film about Prince that won’t actually feature Prince. Entitled Queen for a Day, the movie is based on a 2017 Daily Beast article by Chris Lee, When Prince Made a Chambermaid His Queen For a Day. Like that story, Banks’ film will tell the tale of Lisa Barber, a shy motel worker from Sheridan, Wyoming who won a date with Prince. The contest was the work of a Warner Bros. PR executive and meant to promote 1986’s Under the Cherry Moon, Prince’s Purple Rain follow-up. The 10,000th caller into MTV won the opportunity to be Prince’s date for the premiere of the film, which was screened in the winner’s hometown. Prince ended the evening with a performance featuring The Revolution. Queen for a Day won’t focus much on the film’s premiere or the concert, so no one will be cast to play Prince. Instead, the film will tell the story of the Manhattan PR exec who came up with the contest and Barber herself, with the Purple One an ever-present specter in the background. (It’s unclear which role Banks will take on.) As Deadline puts it, the movie will pull the curtain back on the “coke-fueled chaos” that was behind the massive effort to bring a major Hollywood event to Wyoming, and the impact it had on the reluctant media sensation at the center of it all. Banks will produce under her Brownstone banner with Max Handelman, along with Josh Stolber and David Klawans. Brownstone’s Alison Small will executive produce alongside Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, who were nominated for an Oscar for The Disaster Artist. The pair was too busy to pen the script themselves, so Flora Greeson was hired to rewrite Stolberg’s draft. Source

While 2018 is far from over, there have been a number of noteworthy metal albums released so far this year. Whether it be legendary artists who helped pioneer heavy metal (Judas Priest) or acts who have helped redefine heavy music during the current decade (Ghost) or young bands who are bringing new energy to the scene (Vein), there’s a wide range of artists who have delivered quality albums in 2018. Below are the metal albums that have been in constant rotation in our streaming playlists and on our turntables (yes, we’re definitely down with the vinyl resurgence). Keep checking back with Heavy Consequence throughout the year to see which new releases are added to the list. And then find out which discs make the cut in our final year-end lists. Note: Most recent releases are listed first. –Spencer Kaufman Managing Editor __________________________________________________________ Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love Origin: San Francisco Release date: July 13 The Gist: This modern metal act has likely netted one of the largest crossover audiences of the 2010s thanks to 2013’s shoegaze/black metal hit Sunbather. After a drastically darker and thrash metal influenced disc, New Bermuda, Deafheaven used sobriety and maturity as the conduit for their fourth album. The two lead singles “Honeycomb” and “Canary Yellow” came with a surprisingly sunny, almost saccharine tint that seemed to indicate the band was pushing their sound in a new direction. Why It Rules: Ordinary Corrupt Human Love has a gentle quality about it that few metal acts would even risk, with much less actually pull it off. The album has a pleasant lushness that even Sunbather lacked, and it’s is paced in a way that actually allows you to enjoy it’s soothing ambient moments before it frantically pushes the pace again. Deafheaven are a chameleon of sound-continually challenging what a metal band can sound like and questioning what metal at it’s very core needs to be and what it needs to reject. — TJ Kliebhan __________________________________________________________ Vein – errorzone Origin: Massachusetts Release date: June 22 The Gist: The first full-length from Boston five-piece Vein cements the hype about this underground band, quickly coming overground. Eleven frenzied, genre-defying songs make up an album that is marked by its astonishing drumming, almost jazz-like in its execution, playing around beats, dropping blast beats, technical flourishes and multiple time signatures — all beneath a crushing sonic assault blending metal, hardcore, groove metal and melodic death with gritty, screeching and warm vocals. The result is an aurally spellbinding collection of songs. Why It Rules: Errorzone should be taken in its entirety as a beautiful, unrestrained metallic hardcore symphony. “Doomtech” is the album standout, and recalls early Fear Factory; but the gems that lie within are myriad. “Virus/Vibrance” kicks off the album with a punishing groove and quickly sets the tone for what it is to come. “Anesthesia” could be an old industrial song, with its fuzzed-out vocals and Emergency Alert alarm that bleeds into the furious aggression of “Demise Automation.” The cacophonous album closer, “Quitting Infinity,” ties everything together as it swings from hardcore to death to melodeath. If you put the album on repeat you will quickly lose sight of where it begins and where it ends, and that’s magical. — Mick Stingley __________________________________________________________ Khemmis – Desolation Origin: Denver, Colorado Release date: June 22 The Gist: Three albums in, doom metal quartet Khemmis have their internal engine working at maximum efficiency and power, having spent the previous six years fine tuning and oiling their sound. The music on their latest full-length, Desolation, shows no sign of strain or effort, however. It’s a seamlessly constructed work that purrs and snarls, with the edges fleshed out by small interludes of respite and beauty. Why It Rules: The focus of Desolation has set on the vocals of Phil Pendergast. Make no mistake, there are witheringly hot riffs, complex arrangements that turn and twist through a pocket history of heavy music, and some screeching contributions from the band’s other guitarist-singer, Ben Hutcherson. But it’s Prendergast that is pushed to the foreground of this band’s controlled burn. His lyrics — meditations on the flimsiness of existence surrounded by visions of sharpened talons and “the gilded door of the abattoir” — and ringing voice are the blue flame at the center. — Robert Ham __________________________________________________________ YOB – Our Raw Heart Origin: Oregon Release date: June 8 The Gist: YOB is mostly the creative work of vocalist-guitarist Mike Scheidt, who had a frightening 2017 where he battled diverticulitis and nearly lost his life. Our Raw Heart is an exploration and reflection of that period of Scheidt’s life with most of this album being written from his hospital bed that year. YOB’s brand of psychedelic doom metal reached it’s highest critical praise with their last disc, Clearing the Path to Ascend, and it was unclear what direction the band would turn to next. Why It Rules: Our Raw Heart is seeping with emotional weight, but YOB do not need wild performances or intense vocal strain to tug at your heart strings. This album is as calculated and plodding as YOB always have been, but possesses a serene almost uplifting quality that has never been present before. “Beauty in Falling Leaves” is one of the most moving tracks this year, regardless of genre — the intense ode to perseverance is perhaps YOB’s most stirring tracks. — TJ Kliebhan __________________________________________________________ Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit Origin: Switzerland / NYC Release date: June 8 The Gist: Zeal & Ardor made waves in the metal scene two years ago with their unusual blend of black metal and slave spirituals. The band’s debut release Devil Is Fine was a fascinating, but interlude-heavy album that found band leader Manuel Gagneaux still working out the kinks on this innovative sound. Stranger Fruit was a highly anticipated follow-up, with fans wondering if this novel hybrid was a gimmick, or a sound that can be expanded on. Why It Rules: Stranger Fruit takes everything that is great about Devil Is Fine and improves on it. The 8-bit Final Fantasy-esque interludes have been kept to a minimum, clearing the room for shout-along hymnals and black metal screeches. Tracks like “Row Row” and “Don’t You Dare” have melodic qualities and anthemic structure, further distinguishing Zeal & Ardor as one of modern black metal most creative forerunners. — TJ Kliebhan __________________________________________________________ Ghost – Prequelle Origin: Sweden Release date: June 1 The Gist: After three incarnations of Papa Emeritus, Cardinal Copia takes over the sacrilegious Swedish outfit, and he and his gang of Nameless Ghouls reveal the deep influence of progressive rock on their work. The result is Prequelle, containing multi-layered opuses that work some appropriately bleak stories about plagues and medieval torture in with tender romantic pleas. Is our beloved Cardinal singing to God, Satan or some dewy young lover? That we can’t often answer the question conclusively is half of the fun. Why It Rules: This is exactly the album we want from Ghost: bombastic and heavy cut through with some sharp pop hooks and a touch of the sentimental. All of that is captured perfectly in the vocal of the group’s leader, with a new persona — a disturbing mask that looks like it’s melting — to better match the dramatic sweep of the music. He echoes the dark fears and the small footholds of hope that mark the slow trudge to oblivion in every pealing note of his sturdy, tuneful tenor. The metaphor of the Dark Ages that he returns to throughout is a blunt force object to drive this simple message home: We’re screwed so let’s hold on to each other on the way down. — Robert Ham __________________________________________________________ 夢遊病者 (Sleepwalker) — 一期一会 Origin: New York, NY / Osaka, Japan / Tver, Russia Release date: May 25 The Gist: Mysterious experimental black metal trio 夢遊病者, which translates to Sleepwalker, are only two EPs in and they’ve really stumbled upon an inventive sound. Drawing from krautrock, Zeni Geva-like experimental hardcore, psychedelic rock and free jazz, they swap black metal’s linear, sometimes Romantic tendencies for embracing chaos, embracing sudden left turns and reversals. 一期一会 feels more open, and it’s just as maddening as their debut 5772. Why It Rules: You don’t find a lot of black metal that’s urbane, and that’s the real appeal of 一期一会. There’s tons of haze and buzz, but they sound as though they emerged from New York’s Downtown scene rather than a nameless Norwegian forest. They’re true to the fundamentals — and really, there’s nothing wrong with that — while taking black metal to totally new places without losing the mystique. If John Zorn discovers them, watch out. — Andy O’Connor __________________________________________________________ Sleep – The Sciences Origin: San Jose, California Release date: April 20 The Gist: Doom metal royalty Sleep return for their first album in 15 years — a hiatus that contained sparse live performances and the odd single. Metal’s most famous herbivores surprise dropped this new album on 4/20 (ok, this part is unsurprising) via Third Man Records. The Sciences is their first disc since their sixty minute single track odyssey Dopesmoker was released in 1999 — an album now considered an undisputed classic. Why It Rules: Sleep’s unmatched fuzz tone is as heavy and ruthless as ever on The Sciences — the most crisply produced disc the band have ever relased. This is a dirty, no-frills riff machine of an album with a few squealing vintage Matt Pike guitar solos like the robust “Marijuanaut’s Theme.” All of these tracks are an adventurous trip through drone, doom, and space rock seamlessly arranged by Pike and singer-bassist Al Cisneros. Pike and Cisneros, who have both explored different sounds outside of Sleep’s slow doom metal, bring a cleaner contemplative quality to The Sciences indicative of a couple self-aware jokesters maturing. — TJ Kliebhan __________________________________________________________ Monotheist – Scourge Origin: Orlando, Florida Release date: March 16 The Gist: Lo, the promise of Monotheist’s demo album Unforsaken and follow up EP Genesis of Perdition is finally fulfilled. All it took was finding the right cadre of musicians to join in the cause and to hand control of the mixing and mastering to more assured hands (in this case, 7 Horns 7 Eyes guitarist Aaron Smith). Here at last is the vision that leader Michael Moore has long had simmering in his head, crystallized and solidified and achieving something close to perfection. Why It Rules: Scourge is the culmination of the many years Moore took to find the right lineup, the right presentation for his technical death metal. The stars have finally aligned on his band’s first proper full-length, namely through the contributions of vocalist J.J. Polachek and the more recent additions of guitarist Tyler McDaniel and bassist Jose Figueroa. Versatile artists all, they ably follow Moore down his circuitous pathways that run headlong into a storm of swirling, jagged sound. — Robert Ham __________________________________________________________ Judas Priest – Firepower Origin: United Kingdom Release date: March 9 The Gist: Judas Priest are one of the founding fathers of heavy metal’s sound and image. The band’s late ’70s and early ’80s catalog is rightfully worshipped, as is 1990’s Painkiller. Rob Halford’s absence for most of the ’90s into the 21st century marked a rough patch for Priest, but they’ve come back strong this decade. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing departed the band in 2011, but Richie Faulkner proved to be a worthy successor, leading to the solid Redeemer of Souls in 2014. With the announcement in February of this year that guitarist Glenn Tipton had Parkinson’s disease, there was plenty of reason to doubt the aging titans of metal once again. Why It Rules: In interviews before Firepower dropped, the band stated they were going for more creative songwriting while bringing back some of their heavier and speedier riffs. Judas Priest came through on that promise in droves. While Tipton is no longer touring full-time with Priest, he and Faulkner deliver mightily on Firepower, which has some of the heaviest Priest riffs since Painkiller and speediest since Stained Class. Every vocal performance on Firepower by Halford feels like a time warp, with the legendary vocalist sounding identical to his ’80s self. Tracks like “Evil Never Dies” and “Flamethrower” prove Judas Priest still have some aggressive riffs left to shove in your face. — TJ Kliebhan __________________________________________________________ Tribulation – Down Below Origin: Sweden Release date: January 26 The Gist: By expanding their sound to include shades of psychedelia and its more modern offshoots, Tribulation have wisely chosen to evolve the boundaries of death metal. It’s a move that requires more active listening at times to catch the nuances or to better appreciate the fluid movement of each song. That’s far from a bad thing. You gain more fans by coaxing them forward rather than pummeling them from the jump. Why It Rules: Many are the metal albums that promise to take you on a journey of some kind, while leaving you right where you started. Not so with the latest from Swedish quartet Tribulation. Down Below is a true odyssey that dares you to follow every steep climb and long trek through the flatlands. Your guides are four loose-limbed long haired gents in corpse paint with a facility to move between elaborate guitar solos and pensive piano melodies. Just slip this little treat under your tongue and enjoy the scenery. — Robert Ham __________________________________________________________ Portal – Ion Origin: Brisbane, Australia Release date: January 26 The Gist: Portal are one of Australia’s, and the world’s, most out-there death metal bands, and you can reach that conclusion from a Google Image Search alone. They sound as ghoulish and inhuman as they look, taking equally from Morbid Angel and Ligeti. On their fifth album ION, they strip away the bassy murk long integral to their sound and bring up the treble, giving them a black metal makeover while also adding clarity. Why It Rules: Mystery’s been Portal’s appeal for most of their career, and making their attack more discernible doesn’t take away from that. It’s only made them more extreme. Now their terror is fully in front of you, with Horror Illogium’s guitar contorting into impossibly tortured shapes, skipping around in a bizarre cosmic game of hopscotch. Taken apart, it’s a mess of atonal noise; put together, it’s a pain and bliss hell-symphony for a hell-world. — Andy O’Connor __________________________________________________________ Mammoth Grinder — Cosmic Crypt Origin: Austin, Texas Release date: January 26 The Gist: After nearly nonstop touring as the drummer for Dallas thrash insurgents Power Trip, Austin metalpunk maestro Chris Ulsh returns to his main project, Mammoth Grinder, his take on Swedish death metal via pummeling hardcore. This is also the first with their new lineup, with Ulsh switching over from guitar to bass and recruiting Iron Reagan’s Mark Bronzino on guitar and Ryan Parrish on drums. Why It Rules: Anything with Ulsh’s touch is guaranteed to be a front-to-back banger. Even with five years between albums, a grueling schedule with Power Trip, and two-thirds of the band based out of Richmond, Virginia, Mammoth Grinder still sound like Mammoth Grinder. They can justify calling one of the songs “Superior Firepower,” as influenced by primitive Chicago death metal of Master as it is the Texas heat Ulsh emerged from. — Andy O’Connor Source

Yesterday, Paul McCartney revealed the tracklist for his upcoming solo album, Egypt Station. Less than 24 hours later, he’s returned with perhaps the most intriguing song on the LP, “Fuh You”. It’s one thing to imagine what Macca is alluding to here in the title, but it’s another thing to hear The Beatles legend state bluntly that he’s looking to well… fuck. In a statement, he talked at length about the tune, which was produced by OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, whose CV includes U2, Adele, and Taylor Swift: “With this one I was in the studio with Ryan Tedder whereas the rest of the album has been made with Greg Kurstin…. We were just thinking of ideas and little pieces of melody and chords and the song just came together bit by bit. And then I would try and make some kind of sense of the story. So it was like, ‘Come on, baby, now. Talk about yourself. Tell the truth, let me get to know you,’ and basically I wanna know how you feel, you make me wanna go out and steal. I just want it for you. So that was the basic idea and it developed from there…. Sort of a love song, but a raunchy love song. There you go—fuh you.” (Read: Paul McCartney Crosses Abbey Road 49 Years Later) Listen in for yourself below via its lyric video. Egypt Station arrives September 7th and was previously teased with “I Don’t Know” and “Come On To Me”. McCartney will promote the album with his “2018 Freshen Up Tour” that kicks off next month. In related news, McCartney recently played a secret gig at an old Liverpool venue where the Beatles first cut their chops. Also, Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool, which features never-before-seen footage from his original Carpool Karaoke session in June, will air on CBS on August 20th. Source

Tekashi 6ix9ine and 50 Cent were filming a video in Brooklyn on Tuesday night when gunfire erupted, according to TMZ. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred around 10:30 p.m. local time. The suspect reportedly opened fire from a white Porsche with New Jersey license plates. As of publication, no one has been taken into custody. Tekashi 6ix9ine and 50 Cent were both on the set at the time of the shooting, as were fellow rappers Casanova and Uncle Murda, TMZ reports. Last month, 6ix9ine was allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and robbed at gunpoint by three men who have yet to be apprehended. The 22-year-old rapper is also facing serious prison time for his own criminal activity. Earlier this month, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office filed a letter to the presiding judge, recommending that 6ix9nine be sentenced to 1-3 years in prison and for the judge to make him register as a sex offender. Source

With all the comparisons to Led Zeppelin, it was only a matter of time before Greta Van Fleet made their own The Song Remains the Same. With the release of the Michigan rockers’ video for “When the Curtain Falls”, the wait is already over. Part performance clip, part mystical mini sci-fi epic, this new official music video follows up a vertical video the band released earlier this month. The video finds the band rocking out in the desert as some glowing-eyed worshippers of celestial events like solar eclipses and the Northern Lights get closer and closer to enlightenment. Or doomsday. Or something. The only thing missing is footage of frontman Josh Kiszka battling his enemies with a broadsword. The video was filmed in Southern California under the direction of Benjamin Kutsko, a Hollywood vet who has provided visual effects for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Iron Man, among other films. Watch it below. Greta Van Fleet currently have tour dates scheduled through November, including stops at Austin City Limits Music Festival, the Foo Fighters’ Cal Jam 18, and Japan’s Summer Sonic. See their full itinerary here, and grab tickets here. Source

Fucked Up came barreling back into our ears last month with “Raise Your Voice Joyce”, the fiery lead single off Dose Your Dreams, the Canadian hardcore act’s upcoming 18-track concept album. Now, the band has premiered a new video for sophomore single “Normal People” with Billboard, with whom they also shared some major insights into the record. First, the video: Joyce Tops, the sorcerer of “Raise Your Voice Joyce”, appears alongside frontman Damian Abraham, who here manifests as David Eliade of the band’s 2011 album David Comes To Life. Also on hand are Fucked Up’s Mark Haliechuk and Jonah Falco, who play a pair of lost souls, one of which is a clown. The sprawling nature of the video mirrors the song, which pairs a variety of vocal arrangements with steady, rousing riffs and, yes, another saxophone solo. It’s kind of incredible. Check it out below: Speaking to Billboard, Abraham revealed that the majority of the album’s music, concept, and lyrics was constructed by Haliechuk. “When it came to everything Mike proposed I was like, ‘let’s try it, I’m not going to fight you on anything on this record,’” he said. Later, he added, “When I look back at this record I’m like, ‘Thank God I didn’t fight him on any of this stuff,’ because this is his opus. This is the Fucked Up opus, I think, in a very real way. I can’t believe I’m saying all this nice stuff about him, because we don’t get along this well.” Haliechuk added, “We’ve been a band for long enough, and I came into this one being like, ‘I want to make a definitive Fucked Up record.'” Billboard describes the album as “telling a love story about a time-traveling revolutionary,” noting that it touches on a variety of topics, including “time traveling, anarchy, simulation universe theory, love, existential doubt, self-sabotage, suicidal urges and inescapable corporate culture.” You know, if you weren’t already excited. Dose Your Dreams follows 2014’s Glass Boys, and will arrive on October 5th via Merge. Source

YG’s latest album, Stay Dangerous, comes loaded with big-name guest verses across its 15 tracks. Last night, he was joined by two such collaborators, 2 Chainz and Big Sean, for a performance of the collaborative cut “Big Bank” on Fallon. The trio came out one at a time to deliver their verses from a sparse stage lined with skyward-facing lights that wiggled and pulsed to Mustard’s kiddy piano-based beat. Nicki Minaj appears on the album version of the song, but she was likely too busy promoting her new album, Queen, to come through for the performance. Check out the other three MCs do their thing below. Big Sean’s verse in “Big Bank” was recently revealed to have been edited for the song’s inclusion on EA’s Madden NFL 19 because of a line referencing blackballed quarterback Colin Kaepernick: “Feed me to the wolves now I lead the pack and shit/ You boys all cap, I’m more Colin Kaepernick.” Since being called out for censorship, the video game maker has issued an apologetic statement claiming the edit was a mistake. They have since issued a patch that restores “Big Bank” to its original form. Source

Origins is a recurring new music feature that gives an artist the task of digging into the influences behind their latest song. The new record from Gold Star, Uppers and Downers, has little to do with drugs or even the emotional highs and lows the title could imply. Instead, its name refers to the type of songs collected therein, a range of compositions meant to capture all the various moods music can relate. Recent single “Baby Face”, for example, rolled in with the sort of melancholy that can bring hope, a dark Wurlitzer dream. The latest track from the effort, “Dani’s in Love”, finds itself on the other side of the spectrum. “Dani’s in Love” is a buoyant love song with a melody that runs straight towards the blissful sun. The song is built on the proud strut of a piano, though not the sort of pride that comes with ego. No, this is a delighted sense of satisfaction, the kind that can only arise when you’re finally able to accept the love that’s being presented to you. That is, after all, where Gold Star’s Marlon Rabenreither took inspiration for the song, as the track is an ode to the real-life Dani. Take a listen below, and pick up Uppers and Downers on September 7th via Autumn Tone Records. For more on the inspiration for “Dani’s in Love”, Rabenreither has dug into the track’s Origins — including revealing a bit about Dani herself. Dani: Gold Star/Marlon Rabenreither Dani Dolinger, photo by Cameron McCool The Dani in “Dani’s In Love” refers to my girlfriend Dani Dolinger. The song was written over a few week stretch. It’s about a dark period in my life when we were together, and one night specifically where she quite literally saved my life. The song is a fairly autobiographical rundown of that time. She’s helped me in more ways than she will ever know. Squeeze — “Up The Junction”: I heard this song for the first time on the radio stuck in traffic in Los Angeles on the 110 in downtown. I really loved the phrasing and delivery of the lyrics. I was still hashing out “Dani’s In Love” and this tune gave me some direction. I really love this song. West Adams, Los Angeles, California: At the time, I was living in a neighborhood in LA called West Adams with the photographer Moni Haworth — the lyrics about “The painted stairs” refers to her dark red painted walkway. I always loved this neighborhood and felt a strong connection to it. My Friends: Gold Star/Marlon Rabenreither with friends, Carlos and Sam There is a lyric in the song that goes “My friends gave me good advice, they said I should save my life,” and that line in particular is about my friend Carlos Laszlo. He had gone through some similar experiences. He gave me solid advice and told me I had something good going with Dani, and not to throw it all away. Source

After helming a few high-profile duds in The Three Stooges and Dumb and Dumber To, director Peter Farrelly is back with what looks like his most promising feature in years. Green Book, the real-life story of an unlikely friendship that formed in the Deep South in 1962, stars Oscar darlings Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. It also just received its first trailer, which promises a charming, funny story laced with its own undercurrent of despair. Mortensen plays an Italian-American driver named Tony Lip, who’s hired to drive famous pianist Don Shirley to a number of gigs in a part of America that, at the time, wasn’t all too kind to the non-white. The culture clash is insurmountable at first, but the story follows their eventual bond and the growth that emerged from it. The title, says EW, who premiered the trailer, refers to the guides black travelers used to navigate the segregated country of a pre-civil rights era. “Green Book was a project that I kept thinking about after I had read it,” Ali told EW. “If you look at these two archetypes [in films], it’s so often the black guy is serving as some sort of grounding force and reality check who’s coming from a low-income or working class environment, for the wealthier, more affluent character… I really responded to the fact that it was flipped on its head the way that it was, and the fact that it was based on a real relationship.” Watch it below. Green Book arrives on November 21st, though it will premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival. Source

Erykah Badu is the latest guest on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. For her two-song session, the R&B legend took viewers way back into her catalog. Specifically, Badu played “Rimshot”, from her 1997 debut album, Baduizm, and 2000 Mama’s Gun selection “Green Eyes”. Along for the ride at NPR were seven backup musicians in RC Williams (keys), Braylon Lacy (bass), Cleon Edwards (drums), Frank Moka (percussion), Kenneth Whalum (sax), Keyon Harrold (trumpet), and Dwayne Kerr (flute). Badu, who sparkled with gold insect hair clips and glittery lipstick, prefaced the entire performance with an introduction of her many alias over the years. Watch the entire 15-minute concert. In related news, Badu is set to appear in What Men Want, a gender-reversed remake of the 2000 film What Women Want. She portrays a psychic who assists leading star Taraji P. Henson to gain insight into men’s minds. The Adam Shankman-directed movie hits theaters January 11th. Find a trailer below. Source

Last year, for his role in Adam McKay’s upcoming Dick Cheney biopic, Christian Bale gained over 100 pounds by “eating lots of pie.” Well, it took only a few months for the veteran actor to lose all that weight — and then some. The above photograph comes from the set of Ford v. Ferrari, which Bale is currently filming (via reddit). Directed by James Mangold (Logan), the film follows an eccentric, determined team of American engineers and designers, led by automotive visionary Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and his British driver, Ken Miles (Bale), who are dispatched by Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca with the mission of building from scratch an entirely new automobile with the potential to finally defeat the perennially dominant Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans World Championship in France, according to Variety. Bale is no stranger to this kind of physical transformations, having lost 63 pounds for The Machinist and putting on 100 pounds of muscle for Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. He packed on more pounds for American Hustle, then lost it in advance of his Oscar-contending role in Scott Cooper’s Hostiles. Source