Around the Tubes: 4/20/2018

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Eric Clapton, Lenny Kravitz, Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack, Sigrid, Shaggy, James Bay, Amanda Brown, Sheppard, I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman, and Catch-22.

- June 8th sees the release of the complementary OST to the new Eric Clapton documentary, Life In 12 Bars. From Showtime Documentary Films and directed by Oscar-winner, Lili Fini Zanuck, the film takes an unflinching and deeply personal look into the life of the legendary 18-time Grammy Award winning guitarist and multi-million selling recording artist. Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars is currently available on Showtime via streaming and on demand. The OST, available as a 2-CD and 4-LP set plus digital formats, comprises 32 tracks spanning Clapton’s long and illustrious career. (The LP version will be released at the later date of July 20th). It includes tracks by The Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos, The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Muddy Waters and Clapton’s solo work.

- On May 18, Virgin/UMe lets love rule with the release of Lenny Kravitz’s massively successful Greatest Hits for the very first time on vinyl in the United States. Kravitz’s three-times-platinum 15-track Greatest Hits, originally released in 2000, will finally be made available to all retail outlets in a 2LP 180-gram black vinyl configuration. Additionally, a limited-edition exclusive 180-gram version available from uDiscover will feature custom clear mixed with smoky silver and white swirls on LP1, and custom clear mixed with blue and white smoky swirls on LP2.

- UMe is pleased to announce the release of Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack on June 8. The album comes on the heels of the film’s streaming debuts on Hulu and Amazon Prime following last year’s successful theatrical run and the DVD/Blu-ray releases. The soundtrack is the first official career retrospective compilation for the guitar virtuoso, Mick Ronson, known affectionately as “Ronno.” As well as highlights from Ronson’s solo records, the compilation includes material from his key collaborations with David Bowie, Elton John, Ian Hunter, Michael Chapman and Queen. The album also includes a previously unreleased cover version of “This Is For You” by Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and a piano tribute to Ronson from Bowie’s piano-man and band alumni Mike Garson (David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins). The soundtrack includes extensive essay & liner notes and will be available on CD and digital and heavy-weight 180-gram black vinyl. There will also be a limited edition red vinyl version available exclusively at uDiscover. Pre-order Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack now on CD/digital or vinyl. Limited edition red vinyl.

- High Five is the third in a collection of brand new material from BBC Sound of 2018 winner and the most exceptional breakout star of the year, Sigrid. The colossal pop song ‘High Five’ is about “the importance of those relations where you both dare to be completely honest with each other, rather than exchanging superficial ‘high fives’” says the 21-year-old pop sensation. The anthemic track follows the beautifully poignant ‘I Don’t Want To Know’ and the unadulterated ‘Raw’, a collection of songs that will culminate in an EP. Last week Sigrid sold-out her Somerset House headline on 11 July within hours, the first to sell out in the Summer Series, which includes Jorja Smith, De La Soul and MGMT. Sigrid begins festival season with a much-anticipated Coachella performance this weekend. Listen to High Five here.

- Iconic Jamaican reggae singer Shaggy is back with the visuals to his new single Why featuring Toronto singer, Massari. Why is available on all streaming platforms via 300 Entertainment and Brooklyn Knights Entertainment. Shaggy has had an incredible year. Currently, he is readying a joint album release with Sting and a performance at Queen Elizabeth’s birthday party.

- Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay unveils the official music video for his latest single “Us.” Watch it HERE.

- Amanda Brown has built her career off of taking risks that provoke intense reactions. Her highly anticipated new album, Dirty Water, brims with a distinct confidence, the kind earned by choosing personal truth over people pleasing. The album meditates on the complexity of life’s ups and downs, as told by Brown’s unmistakable vocals -- capable of awe-inspiring power and delicate nuances. Dirty Water is set to release on May 11 and the album’s next single, “No Good,” is now available on iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Play, and Spotify.

- Brisbane hitmakers Sheppard drop their brand new single Riding The Wave this week along with news of their second album Watching The Sky which will hit stores globally on June 8. Check out Riding The Wave Here.

- Hulu has ordered 11 episodes of I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman to return on September 6th, 2018. This season of the hit variety series will return just in time for some seriously funny conversation around the midterm elections.

- Hulu announced this week that Emmy-winning actor Kyle Chandler has joined the cast of Catch-22, from Paramount Television, Anonymous Content, George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Kyle Chandler has been cast as Colonel Cathcart in Hulu's six-part limited series Catch-22, from Paramount Television, Anonymous Content, George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Colonel Cathcart is a full Colonel that takes himself very seriously. George Clooney will now play Scheisskopf. Scheisskopf is a training commander at cadet school in California. Ambitious, humorless, inept, angry, sadistic – and above all else, obsessed with parades and winning parade tournaments. At cadet school he makes the men’s lives a living hell. Deep down he’s just an angry idiot, so there’s no real danger he’ll ever be sent overseas. And then: he is sent overseas. As the Head of Operations for the entire Mediterranean Theater. And straight back into Yossarian’s life.