Around the Tubes: 7/27/2018

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 The First, Shameless, Wrecked, Meg Myers, James Bay, Dagny, Too Stupid To Die, Just Another Immigrant: Romesh at the Greek, Constance, Beast Mode, The Chi, The Affair, and Turner On Demand movies for August.

- Check out the first teaser for upcoming Hulu Original drama series The First. All eight episodes of The First debut on Friday, Sept. 14, only on Hulu.


- TBS comedy Wrecked premieres its third season on Tuesday, August 7 at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). This season, the Wrecked gang find themselves shipwrecked on a mysterious billionaire's private island where they’re forced to hunt each other to the death in a basic-cable battle royale. Season three stars Ally Maki, Asif Ali, Brian Sacca, Brooke Dillman, Jessica Lowe, Rhys Darby, Will Greenberg, and Zach Cregger, along with guest stars Rob Corddry, Eugene Cordero, Jonno Roberts, Karan Soni, Rachel House, Robert Baker, and Will Hines. The series is executive-produced by Justin Shipley, Jordan Shipley and Jesse Hara.


- Showtime has unveiled the official trailer and poster for season nine of its No. 1 comedy Shameless, premiering on Sunday, September 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy and SAG Award® winner William H. Macy and Golden Globe® nominee Emmy Rossum, Shameless is one of the network’s longest-running and most successful series ever and attracts the youngest-skewing audience of any Showtime series.


- Meg Myers’ new album 'Take Me To The Disco' is out now on 300 Entertainment and has been met with raves, leading the Associated Press to declare her “a genuine rock goddess,” saying “Myers definitely isn’t fooling around and there’s no denying the woman’s sheer talent, both as a songwriter and as a singer who can go from kittenish to face-melting in the same song.” The new album has also earned Meg a pick on NPR’s New Music Friday podcast, and praise from the New York Times, who dubbed Meg’s sound “seething and then exploding,” and Billboard, who called the new music “cathartic” and “life affirming.”

- Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay released the official music video for his new single “Just For Tonight.”


- The critically acclaimed Norwegian indie -pop songstress Dagny unveils her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s classic “Landslide.” The song was featured in a prominent and emotional scene in tonight’s episode of Freeform’s The Bold Type. Listen to Dagny’s “Landslide” Cover Here! And watch the scene from The Bold Type Here.

- MTV, in conjunction with Gunpowder & Sky, this week announced that its new stunt series Too Stupid To Die will premiere on Tuesday, August 21st with back-to-back episodes beginning at 10:00. The highly anticipated series, developed with Zach Holmes, the online sensation and daredevil who was banned by YouTube, will feature bizarre pranks, hilarious antics and outrageous stunts. In the debut episodes, viewers are introduced to rural Indiana where this amateur stunt crew has nothing better to do with their time than take rat traps to the face, dodge golf carts, set off explosives, practice public archery and open a dangerous kissing booth, just for starters. Too Stupid To Die is the story of a backyard group of friends who are making a name for themselves with nothing but blood, sweat and fearlessness.

- Showtime will premiere the comedy special Just Another Immigrant: Romesh at the Greek, from comedian and star of the network’s series JUST ANOTHER IMMIGRANT, Romesh Ranganathan, on Friday, July 27 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT. Ranganathan’s true-life adventures and preparation for his performance at the historic Greek Theatre were recently chronicled in the network’s comedic docuseries. Cameras followed the UK comedian as he moved to Los Angeles and committed to selling out the 6,000-seat theater. Just Another Immigrant: Romesh at the Greek is the grand finale to Ranganathan’s journey in America. To watch and share a clip from the special, go to: https://youtu.be/k0ydB0ntjRg.

- Turner's TNT has ordered the scripted dramas Constance and Beast Mode (working title) to pilot. KC Perry (The Originals) wrote Constance, which stars Academy Award nominee Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), with Emmy® nominee Jesse Peretz (Glow, Girls) attached to direct. Constance is produced by Team Downey, in association with Sonar Entertainment and Studio T, with Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey (Sherlock Holmes), Amanda Burrell, Bill Dubuque (Ozark), Tom Lesinski (Mr. Mercedes), Jenna Santoianni (Mr. Mercedes), Peretz, Shue and Perry serving as executive producers. Beast Mode is written and executive produced by David Schneiderman and produced by Ann Wolfe and MACRO in association with Studio T, with executive producers Stefanie Huie (Triangle) and MACRO’s Charles D. King (Mudbound), Kim Roth (Inside Man) and Poppy Hanks (Fences).

- Fan favorites Shamon Brown Jr. (Papa), Barton Fitzpatrick (Reg) and Michael Epps (Jake) have been upped from guest stars to series regulars for the highly anticipated second season of The Chi. The hit Showtime drama series is currently in production in Chicago and will return to the network in 2019. The Chi averaged 4.5 million weekly viewers across platforms and ranks as the highest-rated Showtime freshman season since Billions in 2016.

- Showtime has renewed its Golden Globe® Award winning drama series The Affair for a fifth and final season. Season four of the series is currently airing on Sundays at 9:00, with the finale airing on August 19. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “We love the intimacy, the nuance and the emotional honesty of THE AFFAIR’s subjective examination of both infidelity and fidelity,” Levine said. “Sarah Treem has always envisioned this as a five-season series, and we will be fascinated to see where she takes her talented cast and all of us next year in its climactic season.”

- Emmy-winning writer and producer Lena Waithe (THE CHI) has signed a first-look deal with Showtime, expanding her relationship with the network that launched her first series as a creator and executive producer. Waithe will work with SHOWTIME on comedy and drama projects that she both writes and produces through her company Hillman Grad Productions. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks.

- What's steaaming in August on tntdrama.com, the TNT App, tbs.com and the TBS App:
Mad Max: Fury Road: Streaming 8/5 - 9/3
San Andreas: Streaming 7/23 - 8/21
I Am Legend: Streaming 8/5 - 9/3
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: Streaming 7/1 - 8/29
The Intern: Streaming 8/1 - 8/30
How To Be Single: Streaming 8/5 - 9/3
St. Vincent: Streaming 8/11 - 8/31
Central Intelligence: Streaming 8/13 - 9/11

Around the Tubes: 7/20/2018

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 UnREAL, Def Leppard, Greta Van Fleet, >Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dark Money, In Case of Emergency, Sacred Sites, Saved By the Bell, and The Wrong Mans.

- Everlasting has moved its set to Hulu. In a new deal between Hulu and A+E Studios, the fourth and final season of fan favorite drama series, UnREAL, is now available to stream in its entirety on Hulu. The final installment joins Hulu’s award-winning originals slate and brings together the complete UnREAL library, all on Hulu. Starting this week, fans of UnREAL can immediately dive into the new season. The deal also brings the complete series together on Hulu, making it possible to discover, watch and re-watch all of the steamiest moments, most memorable elimination ceremonies and killer cliffhangers from throughout the show’s four seasons.

- Def Leppard unveil their Spotify Singles. As part of the streaming platform’s coveted initiative, the multiplatinum rock legends performed the classic “Hysteria” in addition to a brand new cover of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.” Listen and share the singles HERE.

- Greta Van Fleet released its brand new single, When The Curtain Falls, to fans via socials. You can click HERE to listen to the song.

- Lynyrd Skynyrd: If I Leave Here Tomorrow, the newest addition to the Showtime Documentary Films slate, will premiere on Saturday, August 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME on-air, on demand and over the internet. Directed by Stephen Kijak and featuring rare interviews and never-before-seen archival footage, Lynyrd Skynyrd: If I Leave Here Tomorrow takes viewers on a trip through the history, myth and legend of one of the most iconic American rock bands. Rising from the swamps of the Deep South, these good ol’ boys from Jacksonville, Florida came to define an era with their hard-rocking boogie-woogie sound, soulful lyrics, drunken and dangerous antics and their controversial use of the rebel flag. The film also serves as a portrait of late band leader Ronnie Van Zant whose life was cut tragically short, but whose legacy endures to this day in songs like the “Simple Man,” “Country Boy,” and “Whiskey Rock-a-Roller."


- Your vote can be bought, but at what cost? Dark Money follows local Montana journalist John S. Adams, who is determined to uncover the truth about funding in his state’s elections. The film gains insights over the course of three election cycles, as it solves an increasingly complicated and blurred puzzle. Dark Money traces Adams’ steps and sheds light on the grassroots movement to unveil the mysterious financing behind our elections. Dark Money has its national broadcast and streaming debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, October 1 at 10 p.m. (check local listings). POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, now in its 31st season.

- Written, directed, and produced by NYC filmmaker Stefanie Sparks, In Case of Emergency is a new comedy coming to Prime Video and iTunes July 23, preceded by a special screening in New York City at The PIT Loft on July 18. Described by Vox Magazine as “a poignant comedy in the same vein as Bridesmaids,” In Case of Emergency is one woman’s sometimes raunchy, always funny internal battle of style vs. substance. Following an accident, NYC socialite Sarah Williams is forced to reevaluate her life goals. Is she ready to put away her judgements and pearls to descend into the subways of redemption? Or will she continue up the photo shopped elevator towards a lonely, bitter Park Avenue high rise?

- From the supposed tomb of King Arthur to ancient Egyptian temples once controlled by female priests, the world’s religious sites are home to alluring secrets and mysteries. This summer, Smithsonian Channel brings back Sacred Sites to explore even more enigmatic religious sites found around the world. Featuring advanced scientific discoveries and archaeological research, new episodes will bring viewers to sanctified and historical locations stretching from Europe to North Africa, through the Mayan civilization in the Americas, across the path of the Camino de Santiago and more. Sacred Sites returns Monday, August 13 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Missing your favorite pals from Bayside High? It's alright, 'cause you're Saved By the Bell! On October 2nd, 2018, Shout! Factory invites TV aficionados to a very special class reunion with the 16-disc collector's release of Saved by the Bell: The Complete Collection, a "Max-ed" out, completist's DVD set of the iconic and addictive '90s Saturday morning sitcom. Relive the laughter, lessons and love with Zack and his friends in this 16-disc collector's set, featuring every episode from 'Good Morning, Miss Bliss' to 'The College Years', and it's available today for pre-order, at Amazon.com!

- Showtime has announced the casting of Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street) in a lead role of the half-hour comedy pilot The Wrong Mans, also starring and produced by Ben Schwartz (House of Lies) and written and executive produced by James Corden (The Late Late Show with James Corden), Mathew Baynton (Yonderland) and Ian Maxtone-Graham (The Simpsons). J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson and Bad Robot’s Ben Stephenson also serve as executive producers. Jim Field Smith (EPISODES) is also executive producing and directing the pilot, which is based on the BBC series created by Corden and Baynton.

Around the Tubes: 7/14/2018

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 Castle Rock, Casual, Ariana Grande, Lord Huron, The Avett Brothers, Mobb Deep, POV, Who Is America?, Shark Squad, Now What with Amanda de Cadenet, Conan, and Final Space.


- Hulu are excited to debut the official trailer for upcoming Hulu original series Castle Rock. The psychological-horror anthology series from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King premieres Wednesday, July 25th only on Hulu.


- Hulu released the trailer for the fourth and final season of Casual. All 8 episodes will premiere on Tuesday, July 31st. All episodes of the series will be available to binge on Hulu at that time.


- Today, Grammy Award®-nominated, multiplatinum, record-breaking superstar Ariana Grande releases, God Is A Woman, the second single from her highly anticipated fourth studio album Sweetener via Republic Records. The brand-new single was produced by ILYA for MXM, written by Ariana, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Rickard Göransson, and ILYA. Listen to God Is A Woman HERE. The official lyric video for God Is A Woman has also been revealed, watch it HERE.

- Lord Huron’s Spotify Singles debut today, including a performance of their hit single “When The Night Is Over” as well as a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.” Listen/share the singles HERE. Additionally, the band will preform “Never Ever” on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on August 8 and will appear on “CBS This Morning: Saturday Sessions” on August 11.

- The Avett Brothers announced that they will be ringing in 2019 with two shows at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Bojangles Coliseum on December 30th and December 31st. Tickets will be available to Avett Guild members starting on Tuesday, July 10th at 10am and will then go on sale to the general public on Friday, July 13th at 10am. CID Entertainment will once again be offering special VIP and travel packages. More info can be found at theavettbrothers.com.

- You cannot mention rap’s most timeless duos without naming Mobb Deep. To celebrate the 25thAnniversary of their monumental debut release Juvenile Hell, Urban Legends/UMe released both a standard black vinyl LP and a limited edition red vinyl pressing of this iconic release. This is the first time that Juvenile Hell has been available on vinyl, and both versions can be ordered at shop.urbanlegends.com.

- In celebration of their 40th Anniversary, JOHN LYDON’s PUBLIC IMAGE LTD (PiL) have announced The Public Image Is Rotten: The North American Tour, will kick off in New Orleans on Tuesday, October 9 (see below for all dates). Tickets go on-sale starting Friday, July 13 at 10:00AM local time. Further PUBLIC IMAGE LTD activity includes the release of The Public Image Is Rotten a career–spanning box set (out July 20) and a new documentary film of the same name, the latter of which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and at London’s Raindance Festival. Directed by Tabbert Fiiller and released by Abramorama, the film will make its North American theatrical premiere on Friday, September 14 in New York City at Metrograph with more theatrical dates in October-November to coincide with PiL’s North American fall tour. View the trailer for The Public Image Is Rotten film (here).

- In “one of the most dangerous places on earth," where the Taliban maintains a substantial presence, a young woman faces obstacles to pursuing a seemingly simple passion: sports. Born and raised in Pakistan’s mountainous tribal region of Waziristan, Maria Toorpakai emerged to become the country’s top female squash player and one of the top 50 in the world. Directed by Erin Heidenreich, The War to Be Her premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and makes its national broadcast on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, July 23 at 10 p.m. POV is American television’s longest-running documentary series now in its 31st season.

- Showtime announced a brand new satirical half-hour series from comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Famous for creating a roster of iconic moments and incendiary characters, Baron Cohen returns to series television for the first time in more than a decade, writing and directing Who Is America? In the works over the past year, the seven-episode series will explore the diverse individuals, from the infamous to the unknown across the political and cultural spectrum, who populate our unique nation. The first episode will debut on streaming, online and On Demand this Sunday, July 15 at midnight ET (9 p.m. PT July 14) and will premiere on air that same night at 10 p.m. ET/PT, with subsequent episodes airing on Sundays at 10:00.


- Around the world, a group of scientists are risking life and limb to come face-to-face with the most fearsome sharks in the ocean. From researchers in Guadalupe attempting to attach a camera to a great white, to a dedicated “shark lab” in the Bahamas investigating shark migration and overall intelligence, join a thrilling journey into the hidden habitats of these premier marine predators. Shark Squad is now streaming on Smithsonian Earth™ – available on Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Android™ and at SmithsonianEarthTV.com.

- Showtime has ordered a new pilot Now What with Amanda de Cadenet (working title), for a half-hour weekly news-magazine format created and hosted by Amanda de Cadenet (The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet). The show takes a thematic approach exploring America’s current social, sexual, cultural and political issues, seen through de Cadenet’s sharp, feminist lens. Emmy® nominee Inuka Bacote (Eastsiders), and Danielle Oexmann (Vice Does America) will serve as co-showrunners. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks.

- Team Coco and TBS are bringing Conan O’Brien’s unique brand of comedy to San Diego in a nightly pop-up comedy club. TEAMCOCOHOUSE will be open beginning Wednesday July 18th through Saturday July 21st. Located at 327 Fourth Ave, a few blocks from the convention center, TEAMCOCOHOUSE will showcase a daily lineup of comics handpicked by Conan, podcasts, panels, screenings, giveaways and special appearances by friends of Team Coco, as well as O’Brien himself.

- Oh my double crap! TBS announced this week that San Diego Comic Con will be the next stop on the Final Space intergalactic circuit. Series creator Olan Rogers along with the cast and producers of the recently renewed epic space opera will descend on fans for an action-packed Q&A about the adventures and mystery of Final Space, including a special fan contest announcement. The panel will be followed by an autograph signing at a separate location.

Final Space- Q&A with the Cast and Creators of the TBS Animated Series

Panelists: Olan Rogers, David Sacks, Tika Sumpter, Tom Kenny, Coty Galloway
Date: Friday, July 20, 3:30 – 4:10 p.m. PT
Location: Hilton Bayfront San Diego, Indigo Ballroom

Signing: Friday, July 20, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. PT
Tickets to the limited autograph signing will be available at 9 a.m. PT on Friday, July 20 at the Sails Pavilion of the Convention center.

Around the Tubes: 7/6/2018

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 I Am the Night, The Challenge: Final Reckoning, Sideswiped, Bob Marley, The Band, Jeff Lynne’s ELO: Wembley or Bust, The Score, POV, Claws, Animal Kingdom, and Sportsball.

- TNT has released the official trailer for the new limited series I Am the Night (formerly titled One Day She'll Darken) from executive producer and director Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman, Monster). The newest installment in a thrilling collection of limited series called the TNT Suspense Collection™, the series stars Chris Pine, who also is an executive producer. The talented roster joining Pine includes India Eisley, Jefferson Mays, Leland Orser, Yul Vazquez, Dylan Smith, Golden Brooks, Justin Cornwell, Jay Paulson and Connie Nielsen.


- Below is the latest super tease for this upcoming season of MTV’s The Challenge: Final Reckoning, set to premiere on Tuesday, July 10th at 9PM ET.


- YouTube Premium premieres the official trailer for its new original dating comedy series, Sideswiped, a multi-generational comedy about relationships - both romantic and familial. Based on a true story from Carly Craig, this eight-episode comedy series about dating in the digital age will debut on YouTube Premium July 25, 2018.​ A lifetime of saying no has left “Olivia” single and miserable on her 35th birthday. This workaholic verging on a breakdown vows to plunge into the hellish world of Tinder by dating all 252 of her matches. She is spurred on by her sister “Jayne” - a young married woman experiencing a seven-year itch. The sisters are joined by their recently widowed mother, “Mary,” who is now also a part of the online dating scene.


- On August 24, The Marley Family, Island Records, and UMe will collectively proclaim the sun is shining in celebration of 40 years of Kaya, Bob Marley & The Wailers’ historic March 1978 release. This most special anniversary edition will feature Stephen “Ragga” Marley’s exciting and vibrant new “Kaya 40” mixes of all ten tracks from the original album alongside its original mixes in 2CD and 180-gram 2LP configurations. (The digital version will be a standalone release of Stephen’s mixes only.) The album will also be available as a limited edition 180-gram 2LP green vinyl version exclusively at BobMarley.com.

- On July 1, 1968, The Band’s landmark debut album, Music from Big Pink, seemed to spring from nowhere and everywhere. Drawing from the American roots music panoply of country, blues, R&B, gospel, soul, rockabilly, the honking tenor sax tradition, hymns, funeral dirges, brass band music, folk, and rock ‘n’ roll, The Band forged a timeless new style that forever changed the course of popular music. Fifty years later, the mythology surrounding Music from Big Pink lives on through the evocative storytelling of its songs including “The Weight,” “This Wheel’s On Fire,” “Tears of Rage,” and “To Kingdom Come,” its enigmatic cover art painted by Bob Dylan, the salmon-colored upstate New York house – ‘Big Pink’ – where The Band wrote the songs, and in myriad descendant legends carried forth since the album’s stunning arrival. On August 31, Capitol/UMe will release Music From Big Pink in newly remixed and expanded 50th Anniversary Edition packages, including a Super Deluxe CD/Blu-ray/2LP/7-inch vinyl box set with a hardbound book; 1CD, digital, 180-gram 2LP black vinyl, and limited edition 180-gram 2LP pink vinyl packages. All the Anniversary Edition configurations feature a new stereo mix for the album, produced by Bob Clearmountain from the original four-track analog masters, achieving a striking clarity and incorporating some previously unreleased chatter from the studio sessions. The 50th Anniversary Edition's CD, digital, and box set configurations also include five outtakes and alternate recordings from the 'Big Pink' sessions and a previously unrelesed a cappella version of "I Shall Be Released."


- The concert documentary, Jeff Lynne’s ELO: Wembley or Bust, will make its U.S. television premiere on Showtime on Friday, July 27 at 9:00 on-air, on demand and over the internet. Celebrating Lynne’s enduring and ongoing musical legacy, director Paul Dugdale documents Lynne's ELO performance in England’s famed Wembley Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 fans.


- One of 2018’s hottest breakthrough acts, LA rock band The Score – Eddie Anthony and Edan Dover – release “Glory” last week via Republic Records. Get it HERE. The Score recently supported Echosmith on a successful cross country run. They’ve become synonymous with high-energy and hypnotic live shows powered by a string of smashes, including the red hot single “Unstoppable.”

- In “one of the most dangerous places on earth," where the Taliban maintains a substantial presence, a young woman faces obstacles to pursuing a seemingly simple passion: sports. Born and raised in Pakistan’s mountainous tribal region of Waziristan, Maria Toorpakai emerged to become the country’s top female squash player and one of the top 50 in the world. Yet she has had to hide her talents from the Taliban, which is strongly—and violently—opposed to women in sports. From a young age, she disguised herself as a boy, going by the name Genghis Khan, so she could play, only to eventually be plagued by death threats from the radical group.Directed by Erin Heidenreich, The War to Be Her premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and makes its national broadcast on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, July 23 at 10 p.m. POV is American television’s longest-running documentary series now in its 31st season.

- TNT has renewed two of its core, powerful dramas – Animal Kingdom and Claws – following their impressive summer premieres. The two-night, two-telecast season three launch of Animal Kingdom combined for 4.3M Total Viewers and 2.0M 18-49 viewers so far, the premiere airing alone generating 978K 18-49 in Live +7. The season two premiere of Claws drew 1.3MM 18-49 in Live +7, +38% higher than last year’s series debut. Season two is now tracking +9% ahead of season one, ranks among the top 5 cable dramas this year, and is currently posting the largest YOY growth among all returning cable dramas.

- Rooster Teeth, the entertainment and media company behind some of the biggest online series in history, today announced the return of Sportsball, a weekly video podcast for sports fans who don’t take themselves too seriously, featuring no-holds-barred interviews, special guests and free-flowing-no-shits-given conversations on the latest sports news. Sportsball relaunches July 16 with new co-host Mia Khalifa who joins Rooster Teeth’s resident sports enthusiast and former ESPN radio host, Tyler Coe.

Around the Tubes: 6/29/2018

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 Garbage, Ariana Grande, Neil Diamond, Donna Summer, Hulu, Fear Factor, Halo, Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out, Baby Driver, and King of the Desert Lions.

- Garbage last week released the 20th anniversary edition of their legendary second album Version 2.0 via Almo Sounds/UMe. The package features the whole original album, as well as 10 B-sides from the era. The album is available to stream and download starting today HERE.

- Ariana Grande surprises fans ringing in her 25th birthday with “Raindrops,” a track from her upcoming fourth studio album Sweetener. The song was released alongside a video directed by Grammy Award®-winning director Dave Meyers. Watch “Raindrops” video HERE. Preorder Sweetener HERE.

- On August 17, Capitol/UMe will celebrate one of the century's most electrifying live albums, with the release of Neil Diamond's Hot August Night Ill, a live concert DVD/CD Blu-Ray multi-disc set. Hot August Night Ill chronicles Diamond's triumphant return to the legendary Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in August 2012.The magical evening was Diamond's 40th anniversary celebration of the original multiplatinum-selling Hot August Night collection that was recorded at the very same venue in 1972. Diamond's noted concert performance and onstage musical prowess is in full evidence on Hot August Night Ill, which features 33 songs including 31 greatest hits. Clocking in at over 2 hours and 20 minutes in length, Hot August Night Ill will be released in multiple audio/video configurations, including 2CD, 2CD + 1DVD, and 2CD + 1Blu-ray, as well as digital and download options. The multidisc set's accompanying video content contains rare behind-the scenes footage with both the band and the crew, showcasing the undeniably palpable energy surrounding Diamond's return to this most historic venue.

- The musical legacy of Donna Summer, the undisputed Queen of Disco and The First Lady of Love, remains hotter than ever as she once again tops the charts with her track ”Hot Stuff (Ralphi Rosario & Erick Ibiza 2018 Rework),” taken from Summer: The Original Hits, hitting No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart.

- In a new library agreement with Viacom, Hulu is now the exclusive streaming home to full libraries of fan-favorite series including: Daria, Nathan for You, My Super Sweet 16, and New Edition Story. In addition, the deal brings a suite of 11 series from the Nickelodeon family and over 20 films to Hulu, titles now available to stream include: Big Time Rush, School of Rock, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, Hunter Street, Make It Pop, Every Witch Way, and WITS Academy. Also returning to Hulu will be hit series Alvinnnn!!! and the Chipmunks, Kung Fu Panda and Penguins Of Madagascar. The new deal is part of Hulu’s commitment to expanding its library with programming for the whole family. More series and films from Nickelodeon will continue to rollout throughout the year.

- MTV’s Fear Factor returns with celebrity episodes on Tuesday, July 17th at 10PM ET with a two-hour premiere. Hosted by Ludacris, the series will include ten, one-hour celebrity episodes filled with new stunts inspired by urban legends, popular scary movies and viral videos from today’s cultural zeitgeist. The celebrity contestants will confront their fears, be pushed beyond their comfort zones and take action against some of their biggest stressors.

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- Halo, the award-winning and record-shattering series of video games, is bringing its universe to SHOWTIME. The network has ordered a 10-episode season of the live-action, scripted drama HALO (working title), based on the hallowed Xbox® franchise, with Kyle Killen (Awake) serving as executive producer, writer and showrunner. Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) will direct multiple episodes and also executive produce the hour-long series. Produced by SHOWTIME in association with Microsoft/343 Industries, along with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, HALO will begin production in early 2019. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.

- MTV’s Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out returns for SEASON 11 on Thursday, July 12 with two back-to-back episodes beginning at 11PM ET/PT, followed by new episodes Thursday and Friday nights at 11PM ET/PT. This season’s star-studded roster includes Rick Ross, TIP & Hustle Gang, Vic Mensa, KeKe Palmer, Winnie Harlow, Matt Barnes, Trick Daddy, Amara La Negra, Rich The Kid, Tyga, Justine Skye, Cordell Broadus, and many more.

- Showtime will offer the world television premiere of the Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominated film Baby Driver on Saturday, July 14 at 10:00. Showtime subscribers will also be able to watch the film across all platforms including SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and the SHOWTIME stand-alone streaming service.

- After spending nearly six years filming a remarkable pride of endangered desert lions, Smithsonian Channel is now bringing viewers the compelling narrative of their lives in Namibia’s extreme, searing terrain. This story, about one of the world’s most magnificent coalitions of five male lions, has not only touched the hearts of millions all over the world, it has even changed national law. King of the Desert Lions premieres on Wednesday, July 11 at 8:00.

Around the Tubes: 6/22/2018

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 U2, Eric B and Rakim, Florence + the Machine,Cold War Kids, Noah Kahan, The Supremes, Leonard Bernstein, Public Image Ltd., Welshly Arms, Hulu, and Desus Nice and The Kid Mero.

- UMC/Island/Interscope announced three new vinyl reissues from U2. Remastered and pressed on 180gsm double LP black vinyl, Achtung Baby (1991), Zooropa (1993) and The Best of 1980-1990 (1998) will be released on July 27th. Achtung Baby (1991), Zooropa (1993) and The Best of 1980-1990 (1998) are available to pre order now here.

- Ever since they burst upon the scene in the late 1980s, Eric B & Rakim have been universally recognized as one of hip-hop's greatest creative units. Eric's distinctive soundscapes and Rakim's complex raps remain unequaled, and the duo's classic recordings remain a benchmark of the genre. Although the pair's albums have remained immensely influential, all have been out of print for some time, making the UMe release The Complete Collection 1987-1992 an especially timely package. Not only a mighty monument to Eric B & Rakim's larger-than-life catalog, this ten-disc vinyl/CD set is the first U.S. career expanding box set for a hip hop artist. The Complete Collection 1987-1992 incorporates two-LP vinyl editions of each of Eric B & Rakim's four original albums—1987's Paid In Full, 1988's Follow the Leader, 1990's Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em and 1992's Don't Sweat the Technique— plus two bonus CDs of vintage remixes, none of which have ever appeared on an album, and only a handful of which have previously been available digitally. All four LPs are housed in a ridged slipcase that also houses a 36-page book and the two bonus CDs. The bonus CDs include no less than 26 vintage remixes, including such influential classics as Coldcut's "Seven Minutes of Madness" mix of "Paid In Full," the "Six Minutes of Soul" reworking of "I Know You Got Soul," Marley Marl and M.C. Shan's mix of "My Melody," and "Friends," Eric B & Rakim's Top Ten 1989 collaboration with Jody Watley.

- Florence + the Machine unveil a new song, “Big God,” and video today—watch it, choreographed by Akram Khan and Florence and directed by Autumn de Wilde, HERE. “Big God” is the third track to be released from Florence + the Machine’s hugely anticipated fourth studio album High As Hope, out June 29 on Republic Records.


- Cold War Kids: Can We Hang On?: Late Night with Seth Myers:


- As he quietly becomes an international sensation with nearly 110 million cumulative streams to his name, Vermont singer and songwriter Noah Kahan returns with his new single, “Come Down,” today—listen here.

- On June 29, in anticipation of the upcoming 60th anniversary of Motown — a.k.a. Hitsville U.S.A. — and inspired by the album’s own recent 51st anniversary, Motown/UMe is releasing a 51-track, 2-CD Expanded Edition of The Supremes’ tenth studio effort, the chart-topping The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland. The collection magnifies the scope of a seminal album that made history, including 27 tracks that are heard here for the first time via a number of updated mixes and alternate versions, as well as electrifying live performances captured at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City in May 1967, the last recorded performance of the original trio: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard.

- In a dazzling musical career that spanned more than forty years, Leonard Bernstein distinguished himself as a conductor, pianist and educator, as well as a passionate musical communicator. But it was his work as a composer that made the most enduring impression upon the public. Bernstein's timeless compositions have become deeply ingrained in the American soundtrack, encompassing the Broadway stage, the pop scene and the jazz world. Now, just in time for the 100th anniversary of his birth on August 25, some of his greatest works have been assembled for Jazz Loves Bernstein, available June 29 via Verve/UMe. The two-CD/digital collection spans the musical and emotional breadth of the Bernstein songbook, with interpretations of the maestro's classic tunes spanning more than half a century, performed by some of the era's finest jazz singers and musicians.
Starting today, Bobby’s Scott rare 1959 recording of “Ya Got Me” is available for streaming and for immediate download with digital album pre-order. Pre-order Jazz Loves Bernstein now.

- n celebration of Public Image Ltd.’s (PiL) 40th Anniversary, Abramorama and Verisimilitude have released the first official trailer and poster of the new music documentary The Public Image Is Rotten. The career-spanning documentary, tells the story of music icon John Lydon and his pioneering group PiL with a level of depth and intimacy never before seen. Following a sold-out screening at Camden London’s Odeon Cinema, the film will be released in multiple theaters across the United Kingdom and select European cities throughout the summer, followed by a North American theatrical tour in the fall kicking off at New York City’s downtown Metrograph on September 14. Watch the trailer for the film The Public Image Is Rotten HERE.

- Cleveland-based, blues and gospel-influenced Alternative band Welshly Arms debuts the video for their single, “Sanctuary,” today—watch and share here. The video exclusively premieres on Billboard, who hails the song as an “earnest, dramatically arranged track.”​ It was directed by Los Angeles-based director Dan Henry and shot in the desert near Acton, CA.

- Hulu announced a deal to acquire whistleblower doc Crime + Punishment as a Hulu documentary. After debuting at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, CRIME + PUNISHMENT went on to win the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking, and has garnered numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Independent Film Festival in Boston. Stephen Maing directed, produced and filmed, and Academy Award Winner Laura Poitras serves as an executive producer. The premium streaming service will partner with IFC Films to release the documentary simultaneously in theaters and on Hulu on August 24th.

- Showtime has ordered a weekly half-hour late-night series starring Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, scheduled for premiere in 2019. The first ever weekly late-night talk show on Showtime will feature popular TV and podcast personalities Desus and Mero, speaking highly off the cuff and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc.

Around the Tubes: 6/15/18

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 Turner, EPMD, Sheppard, Dagny, French Fries, Black Monday, Black Monday, and BIG3.


- What streaming in June on tntdrama.com, the TNT App, tbs.com and the TBS App: The Hunger Games saga and the Ocean’s trilogy will be available all month on TNT. Don't miss Keanu from TBS' own Jordan Peele (The Last O.G.).

- Hailing from Brentwood, New York and armed with a vibrantly original sonic vision, the pioneering duo of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith, collectively known as EPMD, arrived on the hip-hop scene in the late 1980s and quickly became an influential force in that heady era. UMe honors EPMD's contributions to the art of hip-hop with new two-LP vinyl reissues of the duo's first two seminal albums, 1988's Strictly Business and 1989's Unfinished Business. These classic albums have been unavailable on vinyl for decades, and these reissues mark their long-awaited return to the format in which fans first came to know them. Both albums have also been released in colored-vinyl editions that are available exclusively from the online retailer Urban Legends.

- Multi-platinum recording artist Sheppard is thrilled to release their sophomore album Watching the Sky last week, June 8, 2018 via Empire of Song/Decca Records/Republic Records. The album is available HERE. Watching the Sky has already spawned several hits for the Brisbane band with international single “Coming Home” leading the way. Amassing over 21 MILLION streams, radio success around the globe and platinum certification in Australia, “Coming Home” debuted on US television on the TODAY Show and been featured in American Ninja Warrior, American Idol, Champions, Bose’s latest ad campaign, and Lionsgate’s animated hit comedy Early Man. “Coming Home” is joined by GOLD hit “Keep Me Crazy,” Latin American Top 10 single “Edge of the Night,” summer singalong “Riding the Wave,” and most recently, “Hometown,” which was added by 100 Australian Radio Stations in just one week.

- Critically acclaimed Norwegian pop art-songstress Dagny has released her new soon to be hit track “Used To You” last week! Get it HERE via Republic Records. The song is the second banger Dagny has released in the past few months as she recently released “That Feeling When” which was praised by Idolator, Baeble and more! The video was shot in Dagny’s hometown of Tromsø and the live performance footage was taken from a special performance in Oslo. Check out the video here!

- On Sunday, June 17, TNT will air French Fries, the first short film in the Shatterbox Anthology, a series from Refinery29 and TNT dedicated to spotlighting the voices of female filmmakers. From Claws Executive Producer Janine Sherman Barrois, French Fries explores a young, hip African-American foodie couple’s fight to resolve communication problems in a modern marriage of six years, four months and three and a half days.


- Showtime has ordered the comedy series Black Monday, starring and executive produced by Emmy® nominated and Golden Globe® winning actor Don Cheadle – returning to Showtime after a five-season run as star and executive producer of House of Lies – with two-time Tony Award® nominee and Grammy® winner Andrew Rannells (Girls) and Regina Hall (Girls Trip) also leading the cast. The series was created by David Caspe (Happy Endings) and Jordan Cahan (My Best Friend’s Girl), who will serve as executive producers and showrunners. Emmy nominees Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (Preacher, Superbad), who will also executive produce, directed the pilot. With an 10-episode order, Black Monday, a co-production between SHOWTIME and Sony Pictures Television Studios, will premiere in 2019.

- FOX Sports announced this week a multiplatform distribution plan for the 2018 season of BIG3. Each week, a game will stream live exclusively on Facebook, leading in to three additional games which will air exclusively on FOX or FS1 (simulcast live in the FOX Sports app) during the regular season and playoffs. The first BIG3 game to stream on Facebook will feature a match-up between 2017 BIG3 MVP Rashard Lewis’ 3 Headed Monsters and Mike Bibby’s Ghost Ballers on June 22 from Houston, TX, followed by Chauncey Billups’ Killer 3’s and Dermarr Johnson’s 3’s Company; Corey Maggette’s Power and Brian Scalabrine’s Ball Hogs; and Kenyon Martin’s Trilogy and Jermaine O’Neal’s Tri-State on FS1.

Around the Tubes: 6/8/2018

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 The Challenge: Final Reckoning, Minding the Gap, QUEST, Ballet Now, Shameless, Kidding, BIG3, Roger Daltrey, Meg Myers, Alicia Witt, Mallrat, and The Fourth Estate.

- MTV today announced that The Challenge: Final Reckoning will premiere on Tuesday, July 10 at 9:00. Final Reckoning marks the conclusion of the series trilogy, which kicked off with XXX: Dirty 30 followed by Vendettas. The Challenge franchise is the #1 unscripted cable series on Tuesdays and is a top 10 unscripted property on all of cable (L3). The newest installation travels players to South Africa to face the consequences of their actions from the past two seasons. All of the recent betrayals, regrets and wrongdoings will rise to the surface as the competitors pair-off for their fiercest vendetta yet. Will they be able to put aside their issues, settle the score and work together to take home the $1 million prize?

- Hulu announced that the company has acquired the rights to Minding the Gap, a moving documentary from director Bing Liu about three young men who bond across racial lines to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. Ten years later, while facing adult responsibilities, unsettling revelations force them to reckon with their fathers, their mothers, and each other. The film will be released as a Hulu Documentary both theatrically across key markets in the US and on Hulu on August 17th.

- For his debut documentary, QUEST, director Jonathan Olshefski spent nearly a decade chronicling the daily triumphs and tragedies of the Raineys, a working class African-American family in North Philadelphia. The vérité film opens with a shot inside the family’s modest North Philly row home. PJ, who wants to follow in the musical footsteps of her Dad, is drumming on the windowsill. It’s election season in 2009 and while frying bacon for breakfast Mom Christine’a is telling the story of how someone in the neighborhood yelled out, “Vote for McCain!” “You know he didn’t say that around the polls,” she adds. Chris, on the phone with a friend, asks, “You vote for Obama? We know where you live at.” In the next scene, Chris is returning from the polls, and in another phone conversation he happily reports, “There was a line for the first time in umpteen years down here.” The acclaimed documentary feature film QUEST will have its national television debut on PBS series POV on June 18 at 10 PM opening the historic 31st Season of the longest-running independent documentary series on American television.

- Ballet Now will launch Friday, July 20, only on Hulu. Ballet Now provides a rarely seen, unfiltered glimpse into the world of ballet and what it takes to create a one-of-kind dance extravaganza. Featuring New York City Ballet’s Prima Ballerina Tiler Peck - the first ever woman to be asked to curate The Music Center’s famed BalletNOW program - and a diverse cast of world-class dancers from around the globe, the film follows Tiler as she tries to execute her groundbreaking vision of mashing together the worlds of tap, hip-hop, ballet and even clown artistry. With less than a week to pull it all off, Tiler faces the mounting pressures of not only dancing in multiple pieces, but also producing and directing this high profile event. The success of the performances rests squarely on her shoulders. Will she pull it off? Directed by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-nominated filmmaker Steven Cantor, featuring New York City Principal Ballerina, Tiler Peck. Emmy Award-winning actress Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale, Mad Men) serves as Executive Producer.

- Showtime has announced its new fall comedy line-up with the ninth season of its hit series Shameless, starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and SAG Award® winner William H. Macy and Golden Globe® nominee Emmy Rossum, premiering on Sunday, September 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the series premiere of the new half-hour comedy series Kidding, starring Golden Globe® winner Jim Carrey in his first series regular role in more than two decades and reuniting him with Oscar winner Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), at 10 p.m. ET/PT. To watch and share the official trailer for Kidding, visit: https://youtu.be/OzwU7dbmAyY. For a special video announcement from the cast of Shameless, go to: https://youtu.be/lB1tAqfiht4.

- FOX Sports exclusively presents BIG3, the highly anticipated professional 3-on-3, half-court basketball league founded by Ice Cube. The league's eight teams travel to 10 different cities including new stops at Houston, Oakland, Detroit, Miami, Toronto, Boston, and Atlanta. All stops will feature four back-to-back games on Friday evenings with star players including Amar’e Stoudemire, Baron Davis, Kenyon Martin, Stephen Jackson, Chauncey Billups, Metta World Peace, and Nate Robinson and legendary Hall of Fame coaches including Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving, Gary Payton, Nancy Lieberman and George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin. Season two returns to FOX Sports on Friday, June 22 at 7:30 ET/4:30 PT.

- As Long As I Have You the critically acclaimed new album from legendary Who frontman Roger Daltrey is released today. During his career spanning five decade Daltrey has sold over 100 million records including 9 US & 10 UK top ten albums and 14 UK top ten singles. He’s played over well over 2000 gigs in a career spanning over 50 years including venues such as Woodstock, Monterey Pop, Glastonbury (twice), Hyde Park (four times), The Isle Of Wight (three times), Desert Trip, Shea Stadium, The Superbowl half time show and Live Aid to name but a very few.

- Meg Myers has released Take Me To The Disco, the haunting title track from her forthcoming album of the same name, out 7/20 on 300 Entertainment. The album opener is subtly arresting - a sweeping, ethereal song about feeling untethered and wanting to escape. Listen here.

- Accomplished Singer/Actress Alicia Witt announces 15,000 DAYS, her EP set for release on August 24. Billboard recently premiered Younger, the first single off the album. Witt reflects on the track, “When we are younger, when we are 17 or 18, we kind of know exactly who we are. I think I’m a much more similar person to that version of me now than I was a few years ago. So I wrote the song, thinking of how to appeal to that side in somebody else and to have that little child version of you connecting, and letting that be your authentic self, as you go out into the world as an adult.” Listen and purchase “Younger” here.

Having garnered attention from The New York Times and NPR, it’s quickly becoming apparent that 2018 is the Year of the Mallrat, with the release of her highly anticipated sophomore EP, "In The Sky" via Nettwerk Records. Her refreshingly honest observations of day-to-day life, her relatable and confessional lyrics, and her penchant for writing sticky melodies that you just can’t shake have all shaped 19 year old Grace Shaw into the kind of artist that is perfectly positioned to be Australia’s next big name in pop music.

- Turning to Charlottesville and its tragic aftermath, the next episode of the Showtime documentary series The Fourth Estate airs this Sunday, June 10 at 8:00 on Showtime.

Around the Tubes: 6/1/2018

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 Governors Ball, Snow Patrol, Guns N’ Roses,John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd, Sutton Foster, and Joe Walsh.

- Founders Entertainment is proud to announce the official Governors Ball live stream via the DIRECTV NOW app and television broadcast presented by AT&T. Dubbed a “Festival with a New York Heart” by the New York Times, the eighth annual edition of New York City’s very own homegrown fest will take place from Friday, June 1st through Sunday, June 3rd on beautiful Randall’s Island Park. U.S. music fans can watch live performances from artists including Jack White, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Post Malone, The Gaslight Anthem, CHVRCHES, Manchester Orchestra, Sylvan Esso, Khalid, the worldwide live debut of Silk City (Diplo + Mark Ronson) and many more.nnBeginning Friday, June 1, tune in daily from 4:45 p.m.-11:00 p.m. ET live on Twitter at live.twitter.com/GovBallNYC and at ATT.com/GovBallNYC all weekend long.

- Snow Patrol debut the music video for their song “Soon,” from their album Wildness. Directed by Brett Simon, who has helmed videos for every track on the album, ‘Soon’ is a poignant snapshot of Gary Lightbody and his father, who is suffering from dementia. Lightbody revealed: “Soon’ is about my dad. Three years ago he was diagnosed with dementia. I wanted to write a song that connected us both and let him know I was with him and would be always. The video we made for this (directed by Brett Simon) is me and my dad sitting together watching old home movies. Filming it with him was one of the best days I ever spent with my dad and I’m so grateful he got to share in the day and spend some time in my world. It meant everything to me.” Watch the video for “Soon” here. For more information about how music and technology can improve the lives of the elderly suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, visit Music & Memory here.

- Geffen/UMe continues its celebration for the release of Guns N’ Roses’ forthcoming Appetite For Destruction reissues with the debut of the original, newly discovered video for “IT’S SO EASY.” Filmed live in 1989 at the infamous Cathouse, “IT’S SO EASY” was never completely finished and has remained in the vaults, unseen and unreleased. The footage was recently uncovered for inclusion in the box set and has been digitally restored in 4K UHD from 16mm film transfers with the original conceptual scenes edited back in with the live footage, just as the band had originally intended. “IT’S SO EASY” can be viewed HERE.

- To celebrate their 40thAnniversary, John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd (PiL) are pleased to announce The Public Image is Rotten(Songs from the Heart) Box Set will be released on July 20, 2018, coming in the form of a staggering 5CD/2DVD set as well as a 6LP set. The box set will feature the PiL Singles Collection (1978-2015), B-sides, Rarities and Radio Sessions, 12” Mixes, Unreleased Mixes and Tracks and a Live concert from New York Ritz in July 1989. The DVD includes PiL promo videos + footage from the BBC’s Top Of The Popsand Old Grey Whistle Test. Just in case that isn’t enough they’ve included two legendary live concerts, the first PiL’s appearance at the Tallinn Rock Summer Festival in Estonia 1988 (still part of the USSR at the time) and the second from 2013’s Enmore Theatre in Australia during the This is PiLtour.See below for full track listing.

- GHOSTLIGHT DELUXE, an imprint of Ghostlight Records, will release Take Me to the World — the long-awaited third album from two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster — on Friday, June 1. Customers that pre-order the digital album will immediately receive a download of the album’s second single. “I’m on My Way / On My Way” is a medley of one of Sutton’s signature songs from the musical Violet, combined with the traditional spiritual. The album is being released in conjunction with the fifth season of the critically-acclaimed TV Land series “Younger,” which returns on Tuesday, June 5. To pre-order the album, please visit here.

- Joe Walsh and VetsAid, his national 501(c)3 non-profit veterans organization, today announced the date and location of their 2nd annual music festival. VetsAid 2018 will be held on Sunday, November 11, 2018, Veterans Day, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. Launched on September 20, 2017 with an inaugural concert at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia featuring performances by Walsh, Zac Brown Band, Keith Urban and Gary Clark Jr., the first VetsAid concert disbursed nearly $400,000 in grants to veterans’ services organizations nationally and locally. “It was always my intention to take this show on the road and share the experience with veterans’ communities across the country,” Joe Walsh explains. “In 2018, I wanted to bring VetsAid to my brothers and sisters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Naval Base Kitsap and all throughout the beautiful Pacific Northwest. And next year… who knows?” Full lineup and on-sale information will be announced later this summer. For more information, please visit vetsaid.org.

Around the Tubes: 5/25/2018

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 Claws, Just Another Immergrant, MTV Movie & TV Awards, The Chinese Exclusion Act, The Pacific War in Color, Love Means Zero, James Bay, Meg Myers, Liz Phair, Chloe Kohanski, Papillon, and Twin Peaks.

- TNT is revealing the official trailer and new key art for season two of Claws. Niecy Nash, Carrie Preston, Judy Reyes, Karrueche Tran, Jenn Lyon, Jack Kesy, Kevin Rankin, Jason Antoon, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Suleka Mathew, Harold Perrineau and Dean Norris star in the hit dramedy series, which returns Sunday, June 10, at 9:00 on TNT.



- Showtime has released the trailer for the new docu-comedy series centered around popular UK comedian Romesh Ranganathan, Just Another Immergrant. The 10-episode, half-hour series will air back-to-back episodes on Fridays beginning on June 8 at 9:00.


- MTV announced a slate of performers and presenters for the 2018 “MTV Movie & TV Awards.” Mustard will perform his new single “Anywhere” for the first time ever with Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated artist Nick Jonas. There will also be a performance by fan-favorites Chloe x Halle. Presenters who will be onsite to hand out the top prizes of the night will include: Michael B. Jordan, Seth Rogan, Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell.

- In the context of ongoing national debates over immigration, the timely new two-hour documentary The Chinese Exclusion Act, from Emmy® Award winning documentary filmmakers Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu, will debut as a special presentation of the award-winning PBS television series American Experience this Tuesday, May 29 2018 at 8:00. The film is narrated by actor Hoon Lee (Banshee).

- A groundbreaking new eight-part series traces the epic struggle of the Pacific War using rare and never-before-seen color visuals from every corner of the conflict. Smithsonian Channel takes viewers on a vivid journey from the home front to the battlefront, examining the pivotal moments, wartime innovations and social upheavals that still reverberate today. The Pacific War in Color premieres Sunday, June 24 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Showtime will present the television premiere of the documentary Love Means Zero, which tells the story of celebrated yet controversial tennis coach Nick Bollettieri and explores the cost of his all-consuming drive for greatness, on Saturday, June 23 at 9:00. From Showtime Documentary Films, Love Means Zero features interviews with his former students and tennis prodigies, including Jim Courier, Kathleen Horvath, Carling Bassett and Boris Becker. The documentary made its world premiere to critical acclaim at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.


- After months of building excitement and anticipation around the globe, three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay releases his second full-length album, Electric Light [Republic Records], last week. Check out Electric Light Here.

- Meg Myers reveals the chilling video for “Numb,” the lead single from her forthcoming album ‘Take Me To The Disco,’ out 7/20 on 300 Entertainment. The video, directed by Clara Aronavich, shows Meg going about her day in a haze, surrounded by people intruding on her personal space. It's a powerful, spine-tingling visual that brings the song to visceral, disturbing life. NPR Music’s Bob Boilen called the video, “Singer Meg Myers Confronts 'Innocent Touching' And Microaggressions In New Video” Watch here.

- On June 8, Capitol/UMe will release three vinyl reissues by Grammy®- nominated, indie-rock singer/songwriter Liz Phair. These three coveted LP releases have all been culled from Phair’s fertile, whip-smart studio catalog, with each album making its triumphant debut on 180-gram black vinyl.

- Chloe Kohanski releases her brand new single “Come This Far” produced by MXM. Get it HERE via Republic Records.

- Watch Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek plan their escape in the new trailer from Bleecker Street's Papillon. Based on the international best-selling autobiographic books from Henri "Papillon" Charrière, the incredible true story from director Michael Noer (Northwest) and writer Aaron Guzikoswski (Prisoners) opens in theaters August 24!


- Showtime will run all 18 parts of the limited series Twin Peaks consecutively, beginning Saturday, June 2 at 4:35 a.m. ET/PT and ending at 10 p.m. PT/ET. The uninterrupted Emmy For Your Consideration marathon will air on SHOWTIME 2. In addition, all parts are also available to subscribers on multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites and applications and their free On Demand channels.

Around the Tubes: 5/18/2018

- TBS' Emmy® Award-winning late-night series Full Frontal with Samantha Bee is pleased to announce it is gamifying* the 2018 midterm elections. Samantha Bee, who totally knows what coding means, is working with some of the best minds in Silicon Valley to develop the non-partisan This is Not a Game: The Game game. TINAG:TG is a heart-pounding, prize-stuffed turducken of a trivia game in which average citizens play to the death OR win kick-ass prizes, not sure which. We're waiting to hear back from our lawyers. America's dismal midterm election turnout SUCKS and we are 100% certain this game will solve everything. Full Frontal is not sure why this responsibility has been left to late-night hosts but is up for the challenge.

- Game Show Network, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, has added actor John Michael Higgins (“Great News,” “Pitch Perfect”) as host of its new survey-matching game show, American Says. The new half-hour series will premiere June 18 at 5 pm ET and will air Monday through Friday. American Says is a fast-paced studio game show where two teams of friends and family face off to guess America’s responses with fill in the blanks to survey questions covering every topic under the sun. They’ll have to be quick when trying to think of what America says, as time is always ticking and the team with the most money banked after three rounds will head to a bonus round to see if they can guess even more survey responses to win up to $15,000.

- The first seven installments of the Star Wars saga are streaming all month long on TBS. TNT’s “People in Peril” themed films include American Sniper, Green Lantern and San Andreas.

- Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre – a narrative film experience by John Mellencamp –is available on DVD+CD, Blu-ray+CD, and Digital Formats. A unique voyage into the mind and music of John Mellencamp, Plain Spoken is a live concert filmed at the historic Chicago Theatre, overlaid with personal commentary from the man himself reflecting on his career and life. This DVD set not only includes the original version of the film that debuted on Netflix, but a “non-commentary” version of the concert, as well as a live CD. The set list traverses material from across John Mellencamp’s career, from classics like “Small Town” and “Pop Singer” to songs from his most recent release Sad Clowns and Hillbillies.

- Chvrches: Miracle: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon


- The Aces: Last One: Late Night with Seth Myers:


- Platinum-certified duo Marian Hill’s highly anticipated sophomore album, Unusual, is out now—listen here! Unusual is made up of ten tracks written and produced by Jeremy Lloyd (production/songwriting) and Samantha Gongol (vocals/songwriting) of Marian Hill. Leading up to the release, the duo, “known for an arty blend of jazz and R&B that fits curiously well on a dance floor” (Apple Music), released three tracks, “Subtle Thing,” “Differently” and “Wish You Would,” off the album. “Differently” was produced by Marian Hill and notable Canadian producer Boi-1da (Drake, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Lana Del Rey). Apple Music hails the track as, “an ominous hip-hop cut about jealousy…bursting with nervous energy yet feels meticulously controlled, a tension carried throughout the album.”

- Amanda Brown has built her career on taking risks that provoke intense reactions. Her new album, Dirty Water, brims with a distinct confidence, the kind only earned by choosing personal truth over people pleasing. Out now, the album meditates on the complexity of life’s ups and downs, as told by Brown’s unmistakable vocals -- capable of both awe-inspiring power and delicate nuances.

- BBC Sound of 2018 winner and the exceptional breakout star, Sigrid, releases new video for ‘High Five’ yesterday. The Spielberg inspired coming-of-age visual is directed by long-term collaborator Ivana Bobic, a relationship that has already spawned videos for breakout hit ‘Strangers’ and the live hybrid for ‘Raw’.


- Tune in Friday, May 18 at 9:00 to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special “Stone Temple Pilots” on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW.

- TBS has ordered up another season of hilarious misadventures with TV’s most dysfunctional family of The Detour. After a bonkers road-trip, a disastrous move to New York City, and a run from the law in Alaska, the Parkers will be back for a fourth season of The Detour, one of cable’s top 10 comedies. With the return of The Detour, TBS is building on the extraordinary success of a 100% renewal rate since the network’s rebrand in 2016.

- Shometwim has ordered the drama series City on a Hill, starring Golden Globe winner and Emmy® nominee Kevin Bacon (The Following) and Screen Actors Guild® award winner Aldis Hodge (Underground). With a 12-episode order, City on a Hill will premiere in 2019. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc.

Around the Tubes: 5/11/2018

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 Guns N’ Roses, Snoe Patrol, Jessie Ware, Jessie Ware, Mat Kearney, Drinks, Crime and Prohibition, Erik Griffin: Amerikan Warrior, and Final Space.

- On June 29, Geffen/UMe celebrates one of rock’s most important bands, Guns N’ Roses, with the release of Appetite For Destruction: Locked N’ Loaded Edition box set. Commemorating the band’s highly influential album debut Appetite For Destruction, this lavish box set is the ultimate GnFnR fan’s dream fulfilled. Appetite will also be released in concurrent multiple configurations, Appetite For Destruction will be made available in a 4CD/1Blu-ray Audio Super Deluxe Edition with a 96 page book featuring unreleased photos from Axl Rose’s personal archive, a 2CD Deluxe Edition, 2LP 180-gram heavyweight vinyl edition, 1 CD remaster, and digital download/streaming equivalents.

- Snow Patrol premiere Empress, their second single from Wildness, the band’s first album in seven years. Snow Patrol also return to “Later... With Jools Holland” where they debut a live rendition of Empress, along with performances of Life On Earth, Heal Me, and Chasing Cars. Listen to Empress here and watch the band perform the song on Later... With Jools Holland here.

- Jessie Ware: Selfish Love from Late Night with Seth:


- Following its release on Monday, three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer-songwriter James Bay shares the music video for his latest track “Slide.” Check out the “Slide” here and the video here!

- Tune in Friday, May 11 at 9:00 to watch the broadcast premiere of the concert special Mat Kearney on AT&T* AUDIENCE Network via DIRECTV Ch 239, AT&T U-verse Ch 1114 and streaming on-demand through DIRECTV NOW.

- Prohibition in America was an era of profound contradictions – a period of unprecedented government intervention into the lives of citizens, and yet also a time of exuberance, decadence and casting off restraints. Nearly a hundred years later, Smithsonian Channel’s Drinks, Crime and Prohibition takes a deep dive into the underbelly of a time characterized as much by jazz, illegal booze and female liberation as it was by gangsters and brutality. Weapons experts, historians, museum curators and mixologists weigh in on "the failed experiment” and the compelling drama it unleashed, with all its unlikely alliances, corruption and machinations of organized crime. The two-part special premieres Monday, June 11 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- Comedian and I’m Dying Up Here star Erik Griffin returns for his second Showtime comedy special Erik Griffin: Amerikan Warrior, premiering Friday, June 8 at 10:00. Filmed at the Star Theater in Portland, Oregon, the new hour-long special flips convention on its ear with Griffin deconstructing everything from social norms, personal responsibility and lazy protesting to the righteously religious and the female renaissance, all while skewering his own sense of male entitlement.

- Chookity Pok! TBS has renewed its original animated series Final Space for a second season. Born from a seven-minute pilot created by “Tennessee wonder child” Olan Rogers, the intergalactic space saga is TBS’ youngest- skewing original series to debut on the network, reaching more than 20 million viewers across TBS’ linear, VOD and digital platforms. The series pick-up is the latest in a string of renewals for the network, which saw every original series renewed for additional seasons in the last year.

Around the Tubes: 5/4/2018

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 Castle Rock, The Affair, Lord Huron, Florence + the Machine, Snow Patrol, Donna Summer, Just Another Immigrant, Bipolar Rock ‘N Roller, Conan O’Brien, Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968, POV, Carriers at War, and The Forth Estate.

- Hulu announced that Castle Rock, the psychological-horror anthology series from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King, will premiere on July 25th with the first three episodes only on Hulu. Please see below for an exciting new teaser for the series.


- Showtime has released the official trailer for season four of the Golden Globe® Award winning drama series The Affair. The series, starring Golden Globe nominee Dominic West, Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson, Emmy® Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney and Screen Actors Guild Award® nominee Joshua Jackson, will premiere on Sunday, June 17 at 9:00.


- Lord Huron’s acclaimed new album, Vide Noir, debuts at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart this week, marking the band’s first top 10 effort. Vide Noir is out now on Whispering Pines/Republic Records and can be purchased here. Last night, the band performed the album's single, “Wait by the River,” on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Watch here. The new music continues to receive widespread critical praise.

- High As Hope, the hugely anticipated new album from Florence + the Machine, is set for release June 29 on Republic Records. The first official single, “Hunger,” also premieres today, accompanied by stunning new video directed by A.G. Rojas; watch it here.

- Snow Patrol premiered the song “What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get? via a world first play on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 program. Lowe called the song “deep and emotional” and you can listen to it here. In addition, the band concurrently debuted the cinematic and cathartic music video for the new song, which was directed by Brett Simon. Watch it here.

- On June 22, the day after the first day of Summer, Island Def Jam/UMe is set to celebrate the very best of the 1970s chart-topping output of Donna Summer, the undisputed Queen of Disco and The First Lady of Love, with her classic, No. 1 album, On The Radio: Greatest Hits I And II. This iconic 2-LP collection, first issued in 1979, features 16 of Summer’s sweetest hits of the Seventies; all tracks, as they appeared on the original 2-LP release, are “DJ-mixed” – they segue together – for maximum entertainment. This edition, issued on the heels of the Broadway debut of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, is presented for the first time on highly collectible pink swirl color vinyl.

- Showtime has announced the premiere of a new docu-comedy unscripted series centered around popular UK comedian Romesh Ranganathan, Just Another Immigrant. The 10-episode, half-hour series will air two episodes on Fridays beginning June 8 at 9:00. Just Another Immigrant is a comedic docuseries that follows Romesh Ranganathan, one of the most popular stand-ups in the UK, as he uproots his entire family – his supportive wife, their three kids, his Sri Lankan mother and his eccentric uncle – and immigrates to the U.S. Displaced in Los Angeles, Ranganathan attempts to find success and happiness, while rebuilding a life from scratch. In addition to his efforts to adapt, he has committed himself to booking a U.S. gig – the 6,000-seat Greek Theater – with only three months to sell it out. The series chronicles the true-life adventures of this modern immigrant family and the obstacles of making it in today’s America.

- Prolific combat sports broadcaster Mauro Ranallo and his lifelong battle with mental illness are the subject of a new documentary film from Showtime Sports®. Bipolar Rock ‘N Roller – named for the moniker Ranallo gave himself as a broadcast personality and DJ in the early 90’s – will premiere on Showtime during Mental Health Awareness Month on Friday, May 25 at 9:00.

- Turner’s TBS and Conan O’Brien today announced an expanded partnership spanning television, digital, social and live events that will enable the late night icon to capitalize and interact with his multi-generational fan base across platforms. After 25 years on television and having amassed a deeply passionate and engaged fan base through the nightly show, travel specials, digital content, live events and fan interactions, Team Coco and TBS will take Conan’s enduring brand of comedy to his fans wherever they are. The expansion of Team Coco will be advanced by Billy Parks who has been named to the newly created position of Chief Brand Officer for the joint venture. The longest tenured host in late night television will continue to evolve and reinvent the genre with major shifts to both his late night show and the creation and expansion of a joint Team Coco enterprise with TBS. Conan will continue to air four nights a week on TBS, and in 2019 will unveil a new, less structured 30-minute format that will have guests and a variety of segments drawn from the newly expanded Team Coco portfolio.

- Few years in American history have been as pivotal and transformative as 1968. Fifty years later, Smithsonian Channel delves deep into the Smithsonian Institution’s vaults to relive a year that saw breathtaking change, violent tragedy and heroic sacrifice in Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968. What are some of the significant objects that the Smithsonian decided were worth saving to capture the essence of those turbulent times? Personal stories and curator insights bear witness to a remarkable year that shaped the country, highlighting more than a dozen key objects from across the Smithsonian Institution’s collections. Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968 premieres Monday, May 7 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel.

- For his debut documentary, Quest, director Jonathan Olshefski spent nearly a decade chronicling the daily triumphs and tragedies of the Raineys, a working class African-American family in North Philadelphia. Quest has its national broadcast and streaming debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, June 18, 2018, at 10:00. POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series now in its 31st season.

- Today’s U.S. Navy faces very different challenges than its Cold War era counterpart. Conflicts are smaller and more regional. Terrorism impacts not only our allies’ sovereignty, but also the security of the United States. A new four-part series offers unique access to America’s elite fleet of mighty aircraft carriers as they engage in real-world action – giving viewers an intimate look at how the U.S. Navy maintains, operates and deploys to troubled spots around the globe. The series also unveils the newest generation of American supercarrier, designed to revolutionize naval warfare. Carriers at War premieres Sunday, May 20 at 8:00 on Smithsonian Channel as a part of its Memorial Day programming.

- Academy Award® winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have composed the original theme music for the highly anticipated new Showtime documentary series The Forth Estate, directed and produced by Emmy®-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus (What Happened, Miss Simone?). This marks the second time the duo have created music for Showtime programming, having appeared in the 18-part limited event series Twin Peaks performing the original song “She’s Gone Away," which is featured on their 2016 album Not the Actual Events.