Around the Tubes: May 9, 2020

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 Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, OUTCRY, Gary Busey: Pet Judge, Bryan Adams, BENEE, somegirlnamedanna, JP Cooper, Morgan Harper-Jones, AMERICAN SOUL, BASKETBALL COUNTY: In The Water, and Scandal.

- Republic Records releases Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Season 1, Episode 12 (Music from the Original TV Series) in conjunction with the season finale of the critically acclaimed NBC television series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, produced by Lionsgate and Universal Television in association with the Tannenbaum Company, Feigco Entertainment and Universal Music Group’s Polygram Entertainment. Get it via Republic Records HERE. New EPs have been released in tandem with each new episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, which aired weekly on Sundays at 9pm ET/ PT on NBC. 

 - SHOWTIME has released a first look at its five-part investigative documentary series OUTCRY, produced and directed by Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Pat Kondelis, and announced a new premiere date of Sunday, July 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. New OUTCRY episodes will debut every Sunday through August 2, while the entire series will release for on-demand streaming or download on the SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME ANYTIME® apps and partner on-demand platforms July 5. OUTCRY examines the gripping story of Texas high school football star Greg Kelley, his controversial conviction for child molestation, and the quest for truth and justice that followed in the wake of his sentencing. In a never-before-seen clip from episode one, Kelley, his supporter Jake Brydon, and Cedar Park Chief of Police Sean Mannix present their sides of the story depicting a juxtaposition of innocence and guilt. OUTCRY captures a raw and divided community over the course of three years as both sides of the appeal process work in pursuit of opposing truths.

 
- Each year across the country there are thousands of pet disputes. Those who want their cases tried by the best know there is only one man they can turn to, and he is thirsty for PET JUSTICE! That man- Gary Busey: Pet Judge. The six-episode season will be available on Amazon Prime and other streaming services as well as for purchase, and will be entirely binge-able on May 25, 2020. The series stars Judge Gary Busey as he presides over the fates of litigant pet owners. Each half-hour show presents two cases with a veritable menagerie of animals including monkeys, goats, birds, dogs, meerkats, turtles, robot raccoons, and more. Is Gary Busey a real judge? Absolutely not. Does he know anything about pet law? Probably not. Can he look into your soul and suss out your spirit animal while delivering a verdict with a trademark Buseyism? You bet your sweet ass (the donkey kind).

- A selection of Bryan Adams’ official music videos will be released in remastered high definition (HD) video and high-res audio via YouTube’s Remastered program, a pioneering partnership between YouTube and Universal Music Group. Adams’ restoration campaign includes several videos, and the first launches today with “Cuts Like A Knife,” watch it HERE. The YouTube Remastered program began last summer and has since been remastering some of the most iconic videos of all time, to ensure current and future generations will get to enjoy these timeless classics.

- New Zealand’s indie pop sensation BENEE unveils “Lownely,” a brand new rendition of her breakthrough international smash “Supalonely” feat. Gus Dapperton—listen HERE!  BENEE strips down “Supalonely” to raw elements of ethereal guitar, delicate production and lush strings. Her vocals and lyrics echo with emotion over the dreamy and soulful soundscape. Recorded with producer Josh Fountain at Golden Age Studio the night that New Zealand went into COVID-19 lockdown, “Lownely” was made in the last few hours before the midnight curfew.

- After introducing herself in March, somegirlnamedanna opens up about her childhood on the new single “kitchen table.”  Get it HERE via LAVA/Republic Records.  About the song, she shared, "The kitchen table growing up is where so many important moments happened—talking with my family about anything from how my day was to some of the most defining moments of my life. The sense of connection and support I needed all happened when we were sitting there together. For me, that kitchen table reminds me of the people I love and where I came from, and it holds so many memories that I look back on."  Be on the lookout for the official “kitchen table” music video to arrive on May 14.

- JP Cooper gifts us with his feel-good new single ‘Little Bit Of Love’, which is released globally today [8th May 2020], released via Island Records.  'Little Bit Of Love' eases us in with a raw acoustic melody, which is followed by the powerful voice we are used to hearing from Cooper. His unique style of soul, electronic and upbeat sounds allows us to create our own perception of the song, whether it be taking in the purposeful lyrics or getting up and dancing to its infectious beat. The song tackles loneliness and the importance of being there for others in hard times, an extremely relatable subject in which Cooper prescribes a "Little bit of love". Subtle, sleek and inspiriting, the result is a brilliant defiant anthem to carry us through into Summer.

- Hailing from Rochdale in Greater Manchester, 23 year-old newcomer Morgan Harper-Jones has today revealed her latest track "Typical", a soaring song instilled with the spirit of self-love, which builds on the young artist’s previous sublime release "Lie To Me". Listen and watch its accompanying video HERE.  Morgan Harper-Jones only unveiled her mesmerizing debut single "Breathe" at the beginning of February, which came accompanied by a stark and subtly moving one-take performance video but has quickly earned a reputation as one of the most candid and enrapturing new voices around.

- BET announces “AMERICAN SOUL” season two will premiere on Wednesday, May 27 at 10 PM ET/PT.  Inspired by the personal trials and professional successes of a young, ambitious and troubled impresario Don Cornelius, the period drama picks up two years later in 1975.  As Don becomes a rising star, he continues to manage an assortment of spectacular talent that comes to his show, a complicated family life, failing personal health, and perhaps most importantly, his ego. The eight-episode season of “AMERICAN SOUL” features a cast of multi-talented actors including Sinqua Walls who plays a young Don Cornelius. Series regulars also include Kelly Price, Jason Dirden, Iantha Richardson, Katlyn Nichol, and Christopher Jefferson.  

- SHOWTIME Sports has released a first look at its upcoming documentary BASKETBALL COUNTY: In The Water, premiering Friday, May 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®. The film, from executive producers Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman, offers an examination into Durant’s hometown of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and how it has recently produced more elite basketball players than anywhere else in the world.
- “Scandal” Joins Hulu’s extensive library of hit dramas and award-winning Originals including: “Little Fires Everywhere”, “This Is Us”, “ER”, “Killing Eve” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”.The series was created by Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice”). Shonda Rhimes and producing partner Betsy Beers (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “How to Get Away with Murder”), Mark Fish, Mark Wilding and Tom Verica are executive producers. “Scandal” was produced by ABC Studios. The Washington, DC drama centered around political fixer Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and her team of associates who sacrifice their time, and often their morals, to “handle” unimaginable crises affecting the nation’s elite. Throughout its seven seasons, Scandal used OMG storytelling to explore political culture, gender disparities, sexual politics and race in America.