Saturday, June 10, 2023

Around the Tubes: June 9, 2023

 

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Goliath, Secret Chef, MisterWives, Noah Kahan, 3 Doors Down, Steely Dan, Night Talks, Greta Van Fleet, Jeremy Zucker, Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts, How Do You Measure a Year?, POV, Loudmouth, and The Venture Bros.


 SHOWTIME SPORTS announced GOLIATH, a three-part documentary series examining the historic life, career and impact of Wilt Chamberlain, one of the greatest, most emulated and most misunderstood athletes of all time. Brash and confident, Chamberlain changed the way the game is played, broke records and racial barriers and challenged the unwritten rules for all athletes, especially black basketball players, conforming to his own standards on or off the court. GOLIATH will debut on demand and on streaming on Friday, July 14 for all Paramount+ With SHOWTIME subscribers before making its on-air debut on SHOWTIME® on Sunday, July 16 at 10 ET/PT with episodes premiering each Sunday. GOLIATH is produced by Village Roadshow Television and Gotham Chopra’s Religion of Sports in association with Kevin Garnett’s Content Cartel, Happy Madison Productions and Heeltap! Entertainment.


- Hulu Original "Secret Chef," June 29, 10 episodes (all-at-once).  From Executive Producer and chef David Chang, comes a sly twist and playful turn on the food competition series. Ten contestants from all walks of life – from professional chefs and home cooks to social media influencers – are isolated in a secret underground kitchen labyrinth connected by a series of conveyor belts. Guided by a mischievous animated talking hat, the chefs are tasked to perform a series of cooking challenges. However, there are no judges, and the chefs must rate each other's final dishes in blind taste tests. With their true identities concealed, everything will be hidden except the one thing that matters most … the food. 

New York City/Los Angeles-based alt-pop group MisterWives share track and video, "Ultravioletout everywhere now. The stripped-down latest track uncovers the struggles that lie beneath the surface in pursuit of self-love. The band's highly anticipated fourth studio album Nosebleeds is due out July 14 and available for pre-order now. Plus, The Don't Look Down Tour with Bishop Briggs will set out across North America this fall beginning September 8 with tickets on sale now via misterwives.com/tour.  "Ultraviolet," out today, shows a more vulnerable side of lead singer Mandy Lee as it closes the forthcoming fourteen track collection with a steady moment of reflection, one that grapples with comparison and encourages self-care and compassion. The idea for the song emerged after Lee came across a photo series by artist Debora Lombardi who photographed flowers under ultraviolet light. Lee explains, "These flowers became technicolor revealing fluorescent hues and glittering patterns that were only visible under UV when in complete darkness which made me think about how much light and beauty is uncovered in ourselves when we’ve been through the dark."


Critically acclaimed Vermont singer and songwriter Noah Kahan solidifies himself as the biggest breakout artist of the year with the release of Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) out now via Mercury Records/Republic Records–listen HERE! Fans have eagerly awaited this extended version of 2022’s celebrated album, which includes seven new songs and Kahan’s latest single “Dial Drunk.” Prior to its release today, the track had already amassed millions of views online, with fans singing its every word during live performances on the “Stick Season Tour.”  Recently, Kahan was the most-talked about artist at Boston Calling Music Festival, performing to a crowd of 40,000 fans during his Saturday evening set. His performance received critical acclaim from the likes of The Boston GlobeBoston MagazineBoston.com, and many more, with Consequence hailing Noah as “New England’s newest favorite son.” Watch impressive videos HERE and HERE. Not to mention, this week, he continued his “Stick Season Tour” with the first of two sold-out shows at New York’s iconic Radio City Music Hall. Tonight, he is set to perform a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. The “Stick Season Tour” marks Noah’s biggest and most successful run to date with 300,000 tickets sold–see the full list of upcoming tour dates below, and stay tuned for more exciting announcements to come soon.


3 Doors Down commemorates the anniversary of their sophomore album, Away From The Sun, by finally unleashing the original video treatment for “When I’m Gone,” which has been buried in the band’s archives for the last two decades.   Abandoned initially in favor of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the US Military to perform on the USS George Washington, the impactful video from that collaboration has garnered over 160 million views while showcasing the band’s captivating live performance intertwined with poignant moments of military reunions. The video stands as a testament to the shared values and unwavering support that has defined the profound connection between 3 Doors Down and the US Military.  However, fans can now watch the newly unearthed video on the 3 Doors Down Official YouTube Channel, HEREDirected by the brilliant Marc Klasfeld and set against the backdrop of rural Mississippi, this Film Noir-inspired masterpiece takes viewers on an unforgettable journey through a funeral procession and burial ceremony, paired with the intensity of the band’s live performance that leads to an unexpected twist. As the band members become entombed in the muddy depths of their own graves, their captivating performance takes on an entirely new meaning blurring the lines between music, life, and death. 


Steely Dan’s broadly acclaimed third album, Pretzel Logic, will return to vinyl for the first time in over 35 years on July 28th via Geffen/UMe. Originally released in 1974, the best-selling album marked the band’s first to break Billboard’s Top 10, on the strength of their most successful hit, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” plus such favorites as “Any Major Dude Will Tell You,” “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo,” and “Barrytown.”  Pretzel Logic marks the latest release in Geffen/UMe’s extensive reissue program of Steely Dan’s classic ABC and MCA Records catalog, which returns the band’s first seven records to vinyl – most of which haven’t been available since their original release. Overseen by founding member Donald Fagen, the series launched in November 2022 with the group’s legendary debut, Can’t Buy A Thrill, followed most recently by 1973’s Countdown To Ecstasy in May 2023.  Pre-order Pretzel Logic now: https://steelydan.lnk.to/PretzelLogicVinylPR


LA-based indie rock/pop trio Night Talks share their bouncy, bright track and ominous video "Roll Onout everywhere now. "Roll On" takes an energetic, dynamic look at isolation to find slices of hope and amusement.  Behind an irresistible rhythm and glittering guitar riffs, "Roll On" captures the collective monotony and idleness that ripped through the world throughout 2020. The subject matter contrasted by the bubbling beat finds slivers of optimism and eagerness that linger and leave a lasting impression. Reflecting on writing this song during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inevitable aching comparison that came with it, frontwoman Soraya Sebghati says, "It was a really tough time to be an independent musician with no real infrastructure, especially when looking at other, more successful acts, who were still able to release albums and play on late-night television." The band powered through the fear and uncertainty that made productivity and excitement difficult to bring this track to life. Sebghati continues, "The only thing we could do was work on writing songs and other small projects, and that’s exactly what this song came out of. We wanted to capture the feeling of what it literally feels like to be stuck inside your apartment, unable to do much of anything."


Grammy-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet is debuting their new track “Farewell For Now;” listen HERE and watch/share the visualizer HERE.  “On ‘Farewell For Now’ we express the sentiment of our longing to stay on stage and savor the magic created by the audience-music phenomena,” notes bassist Sam Kiszka. “But we must pack up and go to the next place to do it all over again; as always, we’ll be back soon.”


- Multi-Platinum Certified singer, songwriter, and producer Jeremy Zucker’s much-anticipated new EP is nothing sacred? is out today—listen HERE! Zucker’s 5-track project includes his latest single “cindy” alongside previously released songs “OK” and “internet crush,” as well as new songs “i need you (in my life)” and “a dying world…” Watch the visualizer for “cindy” HERE!  On the honest and reflective offering, Zucker looks both inwards and outwards and attempts to answer some of life’s important questions. Jeremy explains, “is nothing sacred? is a shout into the void. a question born of frustration, and a call to action. for a while, i thought it was cool to not care. it felt easier to lost myself in dopamine-fueled swipes than to call up a friend. i chose to be aloof instead of open – not by ego but out of fear. fear of rejection, fear of seeming awkward, fear of not fitting in. to me, not caring meant removing the possibility of getting hurt. it took me a long time to realize just how isolated that had made me. i think we’re losing sight of what makes it so special to be a human in this world: caring about people. being selfless, loyal. appreciating what’s in front of you.”


PBS and WORLD Channel present Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Frontsan award-winning documentary feature that explores the complex history of Black soldiers in the United States military. Director and producer Dru Holley weaves together the testimony of historians, experts and descendants of Buffalo Soldiers with archival photographs, reenactments and animation to tell the story of how newly free Black Americans enlisted in the U.S. Army.  Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts will premiere Monday, June 12 at 10pm ET on PBS and Monday, June 19 at 8pm ET on WORLD Channel’s Local, USA series. The film will be available to stream on the PBS appWORLDChannel.org YouTube and on the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel. This film provides the perfect opportunity to educate viewers on Black History in time for the Juneteenth holiday.


Oscar®-nominated HBO Documentary short HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR?, from longtime HBO collaborator Jay Rosenblatt (HBO’s Oscar®-nominated “When We Were Bullies,” “Phantom Limb,” “The Darkness of Day,” “Human Remains”), debuts WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max, in celebration of Father’s Day.  Synopsis: For 17 years, filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt filmed his daughter Ella on her birthday in the same spot, asking her the same questions. In just 29 minutes, we watch her grow from a toddler to a young woman with all the beautiful and sometimes awkward stages in between. Each phase is captured fleetingly but makes an indelible mark. Her responses to her father’s questions are just a backdrop for a deeper story of parental love, acceptance, and ultimately, independence.  


POV, America’s longest running non-fiction series, provides a balanced, in-depth look at Kathryn, a woman paralyzed by late-stage ALS in the wryly moving family portrait, Eat Your Catfish.  Reliant on round-the-clock care, she clings to a mordant wit while yearning to witness her daughter's wedding. Narrated by Kathryn and pictured entirely from her point of view, co-directors and producers Adam Isenberg, Senem TĂ¼zen and Noah Amir Arjomand — who is Kathryn's son — deliver a brutally frank and darkly humorous portrait of a family teetering on the brink, grappling with the daily demands of disability and in-home caregiving.  Eat Your Catfish makes its national broadcast premiere on POV Monday, July 24, 2023 at 10pmET/9C (check local listings) and will be available to stream at pbs.org, and the PBS App until October 22, 2023. In addition to standard closed captioning for the film, POV, in partnership with audio description service DiCapta, provides real time audio interpretations.


SHOWTIME announced today that LOUDMOUTH, the definitive look at  Reverend Al Sharpton directed by Josh Alexander, will premiere on SHOWTIME streaming and on-demand platforms Friday, June 16,  in honor of Juneteenth. The critically acclaimed documentary feature, which premiered at Tribeca Festival® in June 2022, chronicles Reverend Sharpton’s path from racial justice firebrand to elder media statesman, and his work for social change from the streets of 1980s Brooklyn to 2020 Minneapolis, with never-before-seen footage on the front lines, in the media and in the corridors of power, to paint an intimate and revealing portrait of this tireless activist. LOUDMOUTH will make its SHOWTIME on-air premiere Sunday, June 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.   Often controversial, occasionally fallible, and always quotable, Reverend Sharpton has spent a lifetime confronting America's deafening complacency in the fight against racial injustice -- amplifying the ugly truths about the ongoing impact of structural racism on our nation many would prefer to ignore. Sharpton has been a polarizing figure, inspiring both love and hate on local and national stages. LOUDMOUTH follows a tireless warrior who has never ducked a fight in his mission to transform the status quo. The film features commentary from President Barack Obama, Reverend Jesse Jackson, James Brown and Senator Chuck Schumer.


 Get ready as The Venture Bros. are back in an all-new original movie picking up right after the events from the shocking season 7 finale! Based off one of Adult Swim's longest-running, award-winning original adult animated series, The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart will be available to purchase Digitally on July 21, 2023 and on Blu-ray Disc on July 25, 2023.  Returning in their original series roles are James Urbaniak (The Fabelmans) as Dr. Venture, Patrick Warburton (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) as Brock Samson, Michael Sinterniklaas (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as Dean Venture, Chris McCulloch (Superjail!) as Hank Venture and Doc Hammer as Dr. Mrs. The Monarch.


Sunday, June 04, 2023

57 Channels and Only This Is On: June 4, 2023

 

Fatal Attraction:  Wait, the daughter is some slutty stalkers because of one conversation with Lizzie Caplan?  Really?  And she chooses to stalk… Johnny Crowder?  And I though Lizzie Caplan being murdered by the new husband was going to be the most inexplicable twist of the season.  Who could have guessed those two insignificant characters in the previous episodes would end up being so important to the finale?

 

The Blacklist:  How lucky were we that we got three episodes over the past week?  Lucky in that we are three episodes closer to the finale.  Yet we still got a month and a half to get there.  We did get a little more Siya backstory but I am still waiting for some bigger connection to Red and the season as a whole.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  Oh yeah, Daniel is still alive, but the only thing I remember from him last season was that maybe he was brain damaged.  I guess he has recovered.  But so much for a mother’s intuition, where is Maury to say “you are not the mother”?

 

Saint X:  Note to showrunners, if you are going to do a murder mystery, do not have the twist be there was no murder.  I never thought Gogo and Edwin did it, but c’mon, at least have the boring white dude do it.  Though I missed how the sister knew he saw his sister right before she died.  Oh well.  At least the show gave us the strong message that if you have anti-man sex, it will ruin your life.  Happy Anti-Man Pride Month everyone.

 

Class of ‘09:  Would the FBI really let Kate Mara continue to be a field agent after she lost an eye?  Seems like having peripheral vision would be very import if you are working in the field.  But I wonder if the computer guy is the same guy who died in the future.  But I do not care enough to look it up.

 

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies:  That “race” looked like they were going five miles per hour.  But I am surpised they could not find a way to have both boys stay.  Speaking of boys, holy Zucko sighting.  Though clearly it is not Danny, who is likely in middle school with Rizzo and Frenchie.  Did everyone from the original movie have an older sibling?