Around the Tubes: April 18, 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 Florence + the Machine, Kid Cudi, Oh Wonder, Alice Boman, KIANA LEDÉ, Diana Ross, Danzig, and Private Lives of the Monarchs.

- From the midst of lockdown in South London, Florence Welch today releases the previously unreleased song ‘Light Of Love’. Originally recorded for Florence + the Machine’s last album ‘High As Hope’, it’s a soothing sonic balm to help heal anxious spirits. “’Light Of Love’ never made the record but I thought it would be nice to share it with the fans at this time of uncertainty, and could be a good way to raise awareness for the Intensive Care Society COVID-19 Fund. And to show my love, respect and admiration to all those working on the front line of this crisis. Florence will be donating all her income from this song to The Intensive Care Society Covid-19 fund and welcomes fans to make a donation if they are in a position to do so.

- Kid Cudi returns with a new single entitled “Leader of the Delinquents” today. Get it HERE via Republic Records. It marks his first release since Kids See Ghosts in 2018 and first solo music since 2016’s Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’. Once again, the GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum artist, rapper, producer, actor, and visionary levels up and brings the culture with him. Cudi is readying his previously announced seventh full-length studio album, Entergalactic.

- Oh Wonder releases a new track “Keep On Dancing,” the second song in their Home Tapes project—listen HERE! Home Tapes sees the idiosyncratic London-based duo write, record, produce and release an intimate series of new music direct from isolation. The first song from Home Tapes—"Lonely Star”—also receives a visual treatment made by Oh Wonder in collaboration with thousands of fan-entries worldwide. Watch the video for “Lonely Star” HERE!

- Swedish songwriter Alice Boman follows her recently released debut album Dream On with a series of piano versions of tracks taken from the album, kicking off with the somewhat pertinently titled "Everybody Hurts". Listen to it HERE. The series of wonderful reinterpretations from Boman start with the piano version of previous single "Everybody Hurts", stripped back, gossamer vocals hold your ear over the trickle of exquisite piano playing elevate the track to a new level.

- Delivering a critically acclaimed R&B phenomenon, gold-selling Phoenix-raised and Los Angeles-based artist KIANA LEDÉ rules multiple charts this week. Her anxiously awaited full-length debut, KIKI, bows in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart, Top 5 of the Apple Music R&B/Soul Albums Chart, Top 5 of the iTunes R&B/Soul Albums Chart, and Top 10 of the Apple Music Overall Albums Chart. Meanwhile, it has impressively gathered over 38 million worldwide streams to date. The album was Executive Produced by longtime collaborator Mike Woods [Rice N' Peas] and The Heavy Group, while she co-wrote the entire project as well. Get it HERE via Republic Records.

- Supertonic is a special kind of Diana Ross magic. Absolutely authentic, it’s her voice, her electrifying sound. This music has no boundaries, blending the past and the now in this new collection. On May 29, the digital release of Supertonic, featuring new remixes of nine classics, will be released by Motown/UMe. Supertonic also will be available June 26 on CD and crystal-clear vinyl. Supertonic is produced by Diana Ross with remixes by producer Eric Kupper. Executive Remix Production & Marketing By Brad LaBeau Co + Peter Nelson for Pro-Motion. All remixes are created from the original multi-tracks of the masters taken from the Motown vaults.

- Anticipation for the DANZIG Sings ELVIS one-of-a-kind album release increases as the first single is finally in sight. Danzig’s version of “One Night” stays true to its classic Elvis foundation while exhibiting a modern alternative sheen unlike anything fans would expect to hear. The single was exclusively premiered by Rolling Stone on April 9.

- Historian Tracy Borman returns to host a second season of Private Lives of the Monarchs, giving viewers an inside look into more discreet dealings and hidden love affairs of the most controversial figures of European royalty. From the glamorized and sometimes shocking life of Queen Elizabeth’s sister, Princess Margaret, to the enigmatic Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, the new season unveils some of the more sordid events in royal lives that didn’t make it into history books. Private Lives of the Monarchs returns Monday, May 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 12, 2020

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Well that was a very special episode. Nice work adding in the deaf actors signing instead of singing. But of course the one dude learned sign language to get laid.
You can download Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist on iTunes.

Homeland: That was kind of a waste of an episode when it was pretty obvious Carrie would end up getting her hands on the Black Box. The only question would be if the Russian dude would turn on her or not. Oh wait, I forgot option three, she tries to fork another enemy of the state and then he still turns on her. I am going to miss this show.

The Walking Dead: Okay, the show has been a drag since… um, ever, maybe, but the weird purple haired chick is a riot. Hopefully she sticks around to liven things up.
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Good Girls: Wait, Leslie was not dead. Okay, I vaguely remember him “dying” only to be found hiding in his grandmother’s apartment. But how he ended up in prison is still a mystery to me. Really needed a recap of that. But now he is “dead” again but we do not get to see him die so I am guessing the gangsta has other plans for him.
You can download Good Girls on iTunes.

Black Monday: Boo, I am going to miss Mo’s relaxer hair. That was comedy gold. But Mo being cleared that easily, was a bit of a stretch even by television standards. What could the FBI possibly want that would let him off the hook? Speaking of being left off the hook, it would also be a cheap stretch even by TV standards if Keith going to the Lehman Brothers’ Club Fed and being released early was just part of Mo’s plan and Keith is in on it.

Manifest: I know I should not have expected different, but that was extremely dumb. So frostbite dude comes back to life because he did good deeds? Kind of ruins the suspense of the death date. And now we are stuck with a lame love triangle.
You can download Manifest on iTunes.

Little Fires Everywhere: Last week, Mia’s parents implied that the kid was not hers. I just assumed they meant biologically, but maybe they just meant legally because when you use a turkey baster, you kind of have to the biological mother. This definitely explains why she is so adamant that the co-worker should get the kid back. Hers were by far the more interesting flashback, but boy was young Elena scenes rough. You are certainly going through things if you are driving five hours to see an ex-boyfriend. But I wonder if they are trying to explain Izzy’s problems with the sip of wine Elena had at that dinner?
You can stream Little Fires Everywhere Hulu.

Survivor: Winners at War: So I picked Adam to win solely because he seemed like the most random person who got to speak during the preview last fall. It seemed like I was more and more right as he kept on getting screen time despite being kind of insignificant. And yet, there were a bunch of little scenes made to make him look like a buffoon, like the inability to get his torch in the stand, so I actually kind of thought that weird thing was an Idol, but alas it was not and he was voted out. After all that, can he possibly be the one that comes back from Extinction and actually win? If so, that would be one of the weirdest bits of editing ever.
You can download Survivor: Winners at War on iTunes.

Devs: I really kind of hate the trope of someone predicting the future, someone else says, all I have to do is not do the thing you say I am going to do, but then they always do that exact thing. I kind of hoped what ended the Devs future was the chick just did not go to Devs. Really the last half of the episode was kind of boring.
You can download Devs on iTunes.

Motherland: Fort Salem: Wait, did not one really notice the wicked witch raised the temperature, like fifty degrees? Huh?

The Blacklist: We finally get to learn Agent Park’s deep dark secret, broke a few laws to get to the person she thought was responsible for killing her mother, but of course Red was the one that arranged the meeting. Makes me wonder how long he has been following her.
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.