Around the Tubes: September 5, 2020

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Beastie Boys, S#!%HOUSE, Driving While Black, Kingdom of Silence, The Circus, In My Blood it Runs, Plants and Animals, Glass Animals, April / 月音, Gracie Abrams, LOVA, ABBA, and Selena Gomez.

- On October 23, 2020, UMe will release Beastie Boys Music, a 20-song collection covering the GRAMMY® Award winning and multi-platinum selling Beastie Boys’ recording career. The collection is a companion piece to the critically acclaimed documentary Beastie Boys Story, currently nominated for 5 Emmys®, and the group’s best seller Beastie Boys Book, which ascended to #1 on The New York Times Best Sellers List—topping both the Nonfiction Print Hardcover and Nonfiction Combined Print & E-Book Best Sellers charts.  Beastie Boys Music will be available digitally, on CD and as a 180gram 2LP vinyl set and can be pre-ordered here.  Beastie Boys Music features 20 Beastie Boys classics spanning the band’s 30+ year career including “Fight For Your Right,” “Brass Monkey,” “Paul Revere” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” from their Diamond-certified 1986 No. 1 debut Licensed To Ill, “Shake Your Rump” and “Hey Ladies” from their 1989 reinvention Paul’s Boutique and “So What’Cha Want” and “Pass The Mic” from 1992’s multi-platinum Check Your Head, which hit Top Ten on the Billboard 200 chart.  Also included are “Sure Shot” and “Sabotage” from 1994’s Ill Communication, which saw the band return to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, “Body Movin’” and the universal smash hit “Intergalactic” from their GRAMMY®-winning 1998 No. 1 album Hello Nasty, “Ch-Check It Out” from 2004’s To The 5 Boroughs, which marked the band’s third consecutive Billboard No. 1 debut, as well as “Make Some Noise” and “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” from 2011’s critically acclaimed Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

- Lonely college freshman Alex (Cooper Raiff) has closed himself off from his classmates, who all appear to have this whole "college thing" figured out. Home is 1500 miles away and all he can think about is transferring to a school closer to his family. Everything changes one night when Alex takes a leap and attends a party at his campus' notorious "Shithouse," where he forges a strong connection with his RA, Maggie (Dylan Gelula). When she ignores him the next day and seems to have forgotten about their amazing night, Alex feels desperate for things to go back to how they were before. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize (Narrative Film) at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival.  S#!%HOUSE In Theaters + On Demand October 16th.



- PBS announced today  DRIVING WHILE BLACK: RACE, SPACE AND MOBILITY IN AMERICA – a ground-breaking, two-hour documentary film by acclaimed historian Dr. Gretchen Sorin and Emmy–winning director Ric Burns – will air on PBS on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings).  Chronicling the riveting history and personal experiences – at once liberating and challenging, harrowing and inspiring, deeply revealing and profoundly transforming  –  of African Americans on the road from the advent of the automobile through the seismic changes of the 1960s and beyond – DRIVING WHILE BLACK explores the deep background of a recent phrase rooted in realities that have been an indelible part of the African American experience for hundreds of years – told in large part through the stories of the men, women and children who lived through it.

- SHOWTIME announced today it will premiere the Showtime Documentary Film KINGDOM OF SILENCE, exploring the complicated dynamic between the United States and Saudi Arabia as a backdrop to the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi, on Friday, October 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The film is directed by Oscar nominated and Emmy winning filmmaker Rick Rowley (16 SHOTS, Dirty Wars) and will premiere on the second anniversary of Khashoggi’s death. Oscar and Emmy^® award winning director Alex Gibney (ENEMIES: THE PRESIDENT, JUSTICE & THE FBI) is executive producing the film in collaboration with Emmy and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright (The Looming Tower).



- THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE CRAZIEST POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ON EARTH continues its fifth season this Sunday as the presidential candidates visit Kenosha, Wisconsin in the aftermath of protests and violence over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.  Hosts John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon, along with guest contributor Jennifer Palmieri, are on the ground to explore how the demand for racial justice and the tension between police and protesters is impacting the presidential race in this key battleground state.  For a preview, go to: https://youtu.be/jKqmJW3JB4E.

- Set in Australia’s Northern Territory, In My Blood it Runs follows Dujuan, a young Aborginal boy with a spiritual connection to, and vast knowledge of, his cultural ancestry. At home in Alice Springs, Dujuan is surrounded by his loving family, which includes his mother, his two brothers, and his maternal grandmother Nana Carol, with whom he has a special bond.  Directed by award-winning Australian filmmaker Maya Newell, In My Blood it Runs has its national broadcast debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on September 21, 2020 at 8 pm (check local listings). POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, now in its 33rd season.

- Montreal’s Plants and Animals released a brand new single and video for “Le Queens” from their forthcoming album The Jungle out October 23 via Secret City Records. A French song featuring Adèle Trottier-Rivard on vocals, the song was inspired by an evening spent in Queens, NY. The new song and video premiered this morning via Consequence of Sound, alongside an Origins feature about the track. The band is also announcing brand new tour dates, in what we all hope will be a post COVID-19 world. Find a list of upcoming tour dates below, with additional dates to be added shortly. The Jungle is now available for pre-order. Watch the video for “Le Queens” via YouTube: https://found.ee/Yauo

- Frontman Dave Bayley of Glass Animals performs a stripped-back version of the band’s hit single “Heat Waves” from their critically acclaimed new album Dreamland for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s #PlayAtHome series. The stunning, live performance was shot socially-distanced at London’s Kew Gardens—watch it HERE!  Dreamland is Glass Animals’ most successful album of their career—it debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart in the United States, becoming the band’s highest charting album to date in the US. The album also hit #1 on the Rock Album Chart, #2 on the Alternative Album Chart, #2 on the Tastemakers Chart, #3 on the Top Album Sales Chart and #1 on Neilson’s Music Digital Album Chart. Not to mention, Dreamland also debuted at #2 on the UK Album Chart. The album has garnered over 160 million combined global streams since its release last month, and “Heat Waves” continues to grow across streaming platforms, peaking within the top 10 on Spotify’s US Viral Chart. The band’s latest single off the album, “Tangerine,” charted at #32 at Alternative Radio this week and peaked at #44 on Spotify’s Top 200 Chart.

- With her new album April / 月音 due for release on October 9th via Bella Union, and having previously shared the tracks "Dandelions / Liminal" and "Mary", today Emmy The Great shares another standout track, “A Window / O’Keeffe”. Listen to it HERE.  Of the track Emmy says: “A Window/ O'Keeffe was written about my last summer living in Brooklyn. I’d just traveled to China for the first time and had a moment in a temple, and the entire summer I would only wear ‘lucky’ colors - royal yellow, dusty orange, or the red that scares away ghosts. It was a summer of bright sun and dizzying freedom, the kind that only happens when your life is about to change. The city was a film set of burst fire hydrants and music playing constantly from open windows. On the grass outside my apartment, people documented their lives on their phones, and I walked through their videos on my way to meet friends. The world was shifting, and maybe we didn't always like where it was going, but it was summer now, and we were together. When I finished the song in Hong Kong that October, the colors of an O'Keeffe exhibit I'd been to see at the Brooklyn museum had seeped into my memories of that time. In many ways, this song is about color, though it's also about the friendship between women, something I leaned on as I moved into the next phase of my life.”

- Vevo announces the release of Gracie Abrams DSCVR at Home performance of “Friend.” Vevo DSCVR focuses on the development of emerging artists, through performance content and careful curation. Vevo has a long history of helping emerging artists break through to new and wider audiences. Past alumni of Vevo’s DSCVR series include Billie Eilish, AB6IX and Alfie Templeman. Vevo is committed to working with artists at an early stage of their career to create unique content that brings their music to life visually and provides exposure to new audiences through the platform. Song writing can represent different things for different artists. It can be about catharsis, it can mean letting go, or it can be an escape. For 20-year-old, LA-born Gracie Abrams, it means everything. It's also been an evolution. At first song writing was purely a way of letting her emotions out, with songs built around teenage journal entries, and often recorded solo, in her bedroom, and released via demos on Instagram (now sitting on 313k followers) or Soundcloud. More recently, having found a group of collaborators she trusts, it's become about really honing the songs until they're simultaneously as specific and as universal as possible.  “Friend” is now streaming on all platforms. Keep up with exclusive content from artists all over the world on YouTube.com/Vevo.

- Swedish pop singer and songwriter LOVA wonders what you would do if you only had “One Day Left” on her new single out now via Universal Music AB/Republic Records. Listen HERE.  Breaking boundaries yet again, she candidly opens up with unfiltered lyrics and unpredictable production. Warbling keys echo underneath ponderings such as “But what if we knew that by tomorrow we would die? We would probably have the confidence to kiss the guy we like.” The synths swell into a danceable bridge before the chantable hook, “If you got one day left, would you waste it on insecurities and jealousy that takes up your time?” It transmits a powerful reminder to carpe diem in our current world situation.

- This October, Polar Music/UMe celebrates Super Trouper, the album that soundtracked the Christmas season and far beyond 40 years ago. The first of only two albums that ABBA made in the 80s, Super Trouper was their sixth consecutive No.1 in Sweden, a chart-topper around Europe and a US Top 20 album. Powered by classic singles, including the title track, “The Winner Takes It All” and “Lay All Your Love On Me," Super Trouper became the best-selling album in the UK in 1980. Taking its name from a large follow spotlight used on stage, the Super Trouper album seems a bright, shining statement, but in 2020, we now realize on how many levels ABBA worked. Of course, there is the beautiful shining pop, forever remembered in the smash-hit musical and film Mamma Mia! and the full dancefloors that ABBA constantly inspires. But there is also the masked sadness – virtually every fan old and new is aware that the story of ABBA is entwined with two star-crossed unions and breakups, those of Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog, and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad and Benny Andersson. Finally, the musicianship, production and arrangement, which makes Super Trouper sound as fresh and sparkling four decades later as when it was first heard in 1980.

- Selena Gomez just released her first-ever Rare Beauty makeup collection and the girl did NOT come to play. She gave us one of the most inclusive beauty launches we've seen and I, for one, am utterly speechless. This isn't some 20, 30, or even 40-shade drop – we're talking 48 freakin' shades for both foundation and concealer.  As announced earlier this week, the line includes every single beauty staple you need for your getting-ready routine, like liquid lipstick, tinted lip balm, cream blush, foundation, concealer, highlighter, liquid liner, and brow gel – all with massive shade ranges of their own. As a surprise, the Rare Beauty drop also included some applicators and skincare products we weren't expecting, like brushes, a makeup sponge, an oil-blotter kit, setting/primer spray, and a liquid primer (which comes with added sparkle, btw). And as a reminder, everything in the collection is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.  Along with its release on the Rare Beauty website, the entire drop is also shoppable at Sephora – so you can stock up on those rewards points. 

Around the Tubes: August 29, 2020

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Elton John, Black Thought, James Bay, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Love Fraud, The Circus. Iliza’s Comedy Tailgate Tour, Ben 10 vs. The Universe: The Movie, and The Comey Rule.

- Elton John celebrates the 50^th Anniversary of his career-catapulting performance at the historic Troubadour, in Los Angeles, CA. On August 25, 1970, Elton took the stage for the first time in the United States, a gig that would quickly mark the beginning of his legendary career. Playing to a star-studded, packed house of 300 people, Elton was introduced by Neil Diamond before performing for the likes of  Quincy Jones, Peggy Lipton, Linda Ronstandt, Brian Wilson and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Van Dyke Parks, Don Henley, Randy Newman, David Crosby, Leon Russell, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. His set consisted of songs off his debut album, in addition to many unreleased tracks such as the timeless “Your Song,” from his then forthcoming eponymous album Elton John. The concert was highlighted by an extraordinary review from the Los Angeles Times’s music critic, Robert Hilburn, and has since been heralded as one of the greatest concerts of the rock era.  Also celebrating its 50^th anniversary is the aforementioned, critically acclaimed debut album, Elton John. In celebration of this golden anniversary, a limited edition Record Store Day exclusive deluxe gatefold 2LP version of the record will be available on August 29, 2020. Pressed on transparent purple vinyl, the first disc features the 2016 remaster of the original album, while the second contains a selection of bonus tracks off the 2008 CD Deluxe Edition, never released on vinyl, as well as two previously unreleased demos of “Border Song” and “Bad Side Of The Moon.” On 30^th October the original Elton John album will also be released as a limited-edition gatefold 1LP gold 180 gram vinyl edition with download code. 

- Legendary MC for GRAMMY® Award-winning platinum-certified hip-hop luminaries The Roots, Black Thought debuts new track “Good Morning,” feat. Pusha T, Killer Mike and Swizz Beatz via Republic Records. This release marks the second track off of Black Thought’s highly anticipated Streams of Thought Vol. 3: Cane & Able, which is set for release September 18, 2020.  Listen to “Good Morning” feat. Pusha T, Killer Mike and Swizz Beatz: HERE

-  James Bay made history by being the first artist to film at The London Eye, performing his hit single “Chew On My Heart” for The Late Late Show with James Corden. Check out James Bay’s Performance of “Chew On My Heart” for The Late Late Show with James Corden Here!  In addition to the performance Bay sat down with James Corden for an interview to discuss his unique connection to Bradley Cooper & A Star Is Born, how he pulled off the incredible performance for the show and the inspiration behind his upcoming new album – his longtime girlfriend Lucy. Watch the interview here!

- Gibson Brands--the iconic American instrument maker--has partnered with Orion Pictures on the new film Bill & Ted Face the Music as the official guitar brand of the movie. The film finds the duo--now middle-aged best friends who have yet to fulfill their rock and roll destiny--as they head out for a new adventure when a visitor from the future warns them that only their song can save life as we know it. Along the way, the Wyld Stallyns will be helped by their families, old friends, and a few music legends. The third installment in the film franchise starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter is due out on Friday, August 28, in theaters and on demand, pre-order here: https://billandted3.com/watch.  Over 30 guitars from Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer are featured throughout Bill & Ted Face the Music including “Bill” S. Preston ESQ. (Winter) and “Ted” Theodore Logan (Reeves) epic Wyld Stallyns hero guitars, the classic Gibson SG Special, and the Gibson Flying V.

- SHOWTIME has released the premiere episode of its new docu-series LOVE FRAUD early for free online sampling, on streaming platforms and on demand. The series is executive produced and directed by Emmy winners and Academy Award^® nominees Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. The premiere episode is available for free now on YouTube and SHO.com. LOVE FRAUD will officially premiere on air this Sunday, August 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.  The episode is also available across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free on demand channels. In addition, the season premiere is available for free on the SHOWTIME stand-alone service at www.showtime.com.

- THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE CRAZIEST POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ON EARTH continues its fifth season this Sunday with an inside look at the 2020 Republican National Convention. 

Hosts John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon, along with guest contributor Jennifer Palmieri, convene in the nation’s capital as President Trump and his allies make a case for re-election amid an historic pandemic and mounting protests following the death of Jacob Blake, an African American man shot by Wisconsin police. For a preview, go to: https://youtu.be/VqNXURBcSWs.

- Coming to a Drive-In location near you, Comedian Iliza Shlesinger is hitting the road with Iliza’s Comedy Tailgate Tour presented by Monster Energy. With five Netflix specials currently streaming, including her most recent Unveiled and Elder Millennial, she is one of today’s leading comedians with a legion of fans who create and wear their own Iliza inspired swag to her shows. The 9-city trek will bring Iliza to drive-in theaters across the U.S. this October. Socially distanced and safe in their cars, fans will catch every second of Iliza’s set in real time through their car radio. Tickets pre-sales start today and general public tickets go on sale this Friday, August 28^th at 10 a.m. local at www.iliza.com.

- Ben Tennyson is back on the alien-fighting scene, and expanding to take on the universe as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases Ben 10 vs. The Universe: The Movie globally on Digital October 11 and on DVD October 27, 2020. Follow the alien-transforming kid hero with all-new powers and settings on this intergalactic adventure, filled with action-packed bonus content including Animatics, exclusive to the DVD. Ben 10 vs. The Universe: The Movie carries a suggested retail price of $14.99 for Digital, $19.99 for the DVD ($24.99 in Canada), and is rated TV-Y7. Ben 10 vs. The Universe: The Movie has an order due date of September 22, 2020.

- SHOWTIME has released the official trailer for the upcoming limited series THE COMEY RULE, starring Emmy^® winner Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) as former FBI Director James Comey and Emmy winner Brendan Gleeson (Mr. Mercedes) as President Donald J. Trump. The two-part series will premiere on consecutive nights: Sunday, September 27 and Monday, September 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The full series will be available for on-demand streaming or download on the SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME ANYTIME^® apps and partner on-demand platforms starting at 12:01 a.m. ET/PT on Sunday, September 27. Based on the No. 1 New York Times bestselling book A Higher Loyalty and more than a year of additional interviews with a number of key principals, THE COMEY RULE was adapted for the screen and directed by Oscar^® nominated screenwriter Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, Shattered Glass).  To watch the trailer, go to: https://youtu.be/Dc8XsWQMcs8.

57 Channels and Only This is On: August 23, 2020

Lovecraft Country: Well that was a lot weirder than I expected. Did not expect to see Jackie Robinson murdering aliens with his baseball bat. But that road trip seemed a bit unnecessary and just delayed everyone from getting to the titular location. I did not quite understand how Jess Merriweather went from asking her sister for a place to stay for a couple weeks and then was packing the car.

The Chi: Oh wow, (barring a major miracle) they killed off Ronnie right after redeeming himself by saving Keisha. But why did it take Coogie’s boy so long to seek retribution? And why do it right after he became a hero? And just who was that kid? Kind of keep to go out by someone we have never seen again. But I guess that is Chicago violence for you.

We Hunt Together: “I’m used to feeling smarter than most people.” Kind of sounds like famous last words. Certainly it was not that smart to kill the dude who you pinned your murder on and try to make it seem like they were homosexual lovers despite one dude having double digit contact on a dating act with females. Also did not help you had to kill a third dude while staging a suicide of the second guy you killed. Is this a low key black comedy? Those British do have a warped sense of humour.

Around the Tubes: August 22, 2020

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Binge, The Circus, Taylor Swift, Snow Patrol, Jeremy Zucker, Shannon Labrie, CHAI and HINDS, LLusion, Ryland James, Tears For Fears, and Moonbase 8.

- Binge Day is fast approaching so get ready with the new official trailer for Hulu's upcoming original film THE BINGE from American High. THE BINGE premieres Friday, August 28, only on Hulu.  Set in a time where all drugs and alcohol are illegal, the only day anyone can participate in the "fun" is on Binge day.  The film stars Skyler Gisondo, Dexter Darden, Eduardo Franco, Vince Vaughn, Grace Van Dien, Tony Cavalero, Zainne Saleh , Marta Piekarz, Esteban Benito, Brittany Garms, Natalie Goldberg, Affion Crockett, Elon Gold, Jessica Kirson, Godfrey and Eileen Galindo. 



- THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE CRAZIEST POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ON EARTH continues its fifth season this Sunday with an inside look at the Democrats' high-stakes, all-virtual 2020 convention. Hosts John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon, along with guest contributor Jennifer Palmieri, go behind the scenes of the planning, speechwriting, and media coverage of an unprecedented convention, culminating with the Democratic Party's historic nominations of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. For a preview, go to: https://youtu.be/fRAx2Te7-0U.

- Ten-time GRAMMY® winner Taylor Swift has teamed with Vevo to reveal the carefully placed Easter eggs and deeper meanings within her latest music video, “cardigan,” from her critically-adored new album, folklore for a brand new episode of Vevo Footnotes. Vevo Footnotes dives into all the behind-the-scenes details, from social distancing standards to the cinematic styles that influenced Swift’s vision for this project.  WATCH “TAYLOR SWIFT - THE MAKING OF ‘CARDIGAN’ | VEVO FOOTNOTES”  “I was inspired by the feeling of isolation and how that can be either freeing or terrifying,” Swift tells Vevo exclusively about her creation process during a worldwide pandemic. Swift was inspired by some of the period pieces and fantasy films she was watching in quarantine. With a health inspector on-set, Swift did her own make-up, hair and wardrobe styling, while the photography crew, used a “techo crane” for closeups to ensure social distancing at all times.

- Snow Patrol released a brand-new EP. Written and recorded during lockdown, The Fireside Sessions is made up of five songs written with the band’s fans during a series of streams on Instagram Live dubbed ‘Saturday Songwrite’. In a nod to this collaboration, The Fireside Sessions will be released under the banner of Snow Patrol And The Saturday Songwriters. The EP was produced by Iain Archer.  Check out Snow Patrol And The Saturday Songwriters The Fireside Sessions EP HERE!

- Platinum-Certified singer, songwriter and producer Jeremy Zucker made his late night television debut performing his new single “supercuts” on The Late Late Show with James Corden—watch the performance HERE!  The live performance, shot socially distanced at New York’s MAISON 10 art gallery, brings Zucker’s feel-good summertime anthem to life. In just a few short weeks, “supercuts” has amassed over 10 million global streams nearly 2 million lyric video views, as the song was hailed by UPROXX as a “feel-good single” and praised by HYPEBAE as “a bright, summer anthem.”

- Following the recent announcement of Shannon Labrie’s upcoming LP release, Building, available on Sept. 25, the “Firewalker” singer-songwriter has delivered a new track off the album, titled “Raining Hallelujah.” A timely song centered on perseverance and resilience, journalist Johnathan Frahm with For Folk Sake recently spoke about the track, calling it “a reminder that kindness and healing is just around the bend… packaged in intimate roots rock that speaks straight to the heart of overarching society.” “Raining Hallelujah” is now available and can be heard HERE. LaBrie’s upcoming album, Building is also now available for digital pre-save HERE and physical pre-order HERE.

- CHAI and HINDS have released collaborative single "UNITED GIRLS ROCK'N"ROLL CLUB" which is out now via Heavenly Recordings.  Featuring lyrics in Spanish, Japanese and English, the track is accompanied by a clip of the artists exploring Madrid, celebrating the pure joy of women uniting in artistic collaboration. Watch "UNITED GIRLS ROCK’N’ROLL CLUB" HERE.  "UNITED GIRLS ROCK'N'ROLL CLUB is a song that screams GIRL POWER!” the bands say. “You might be from different countries, different languages, but at the end of the day, the music speaks for itself. You can hear it, you can feel it!  It's that type of song! Take a listen!"

- LLusion is an artist and producer based in Orange, CA. He has teamed up with NYC-based artist Cautious Clay and Bay Area producer HXNS on the track “Sad4good,” streaming everywhere now—listen HERE!  The track will be featured on an upcoming mixtape from LLusion. LLusion has recently gained attention for his remixes of artists like 24kGoldn and Selena Gomez on TikTok. His previous single was a collaboration with mxmtoon on “walk but in a garden.”

- Rising star and platinum selling artist Ryland James released his debut self-titled EP today via 21 Entertainment/Republic Records.  Get the EP HERE.  Ryland also revealed the music video for his new single “Water,” which is sure to make you want to hold onto summer all year long. Watch the official music video for “Water,” which premiered earlier today via Just Jared, HERE.  Of the track “Water,” Ryland says: “This song is one of my favourites to perform live and one that a lot of my fans have been patiently waiting for. I wrote it on my first trip to LA and got to create the video close to home so it has a lot of exciting and sentimental value attached to it.”

- Over thirty years on from its original release, Tears For Fears' third long-player The Seeds Of Love has taken on mythical status for its scope, ambition, timeless musicality, and the fact that it took over four years to record.  For music fans and audiophiles the world over, the album continues to astound with its depth and sheer audacity, which is why three decades on it, has barely aged a day.  As Roland Orzabal puts it, "Out of all our albums, I'd probably rank it highest. I think it surprised a lot of people, a lot of our peers as well, people who maybe we were being compared to in the mid-Eighties." Curt Smith "The tracks I liked then, I still like now. 'Woman in Chains,' 'Badman's Song,' 'Sowing the Seeds of Love,' and 'Advice For The Young At Heart' have all stuck around. We still play those live."

RELEASED OCTOBER 9^th, 2020 ON UMe/VIRGIN

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Super Deluxe Box Set https://tearsforfears.lnk.to/TSOL

Deluxe 2CD https://tearsforfears.lnk.to/TSOL

Remastered LP https://tearsforfears.lnk.to/TSOL

D2C Picture Disc https://tearsforfears.lnk.to/TSOL

- SHOWTIME has picked up MOONBASE 8, a new half-hour comedy series from A24 set to debut this fall. Starring Emmy^® nominee Fred Armisen (Portlandia), Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!) and Golden Globe^®  and Academy Award^®  nominee John C. Reilly (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), the six-episode series is a workplace comedy that follows three subpar astronauts living at NASA’s Moon Base Simulator with high hopes of being chosen to travel to the moon. Created, written and executive produced by Armisen, Heidecker, Reilly and Emmy nominee Jonathan Krisel (Baskets), who also serves as series director, MOONBASE 8 is produced by A24 and Abso Lutely Productions. The announcement was made today by Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.  “In a year when we have all been forced to come to terms with life in close quarters, we are happy to have landed this offbeat take on life in captivity with dreams of escaping to something grander,” said Winograde. “While the show was produced before the pandemic, its subject matter is timely – and thanks to Fred, Tim, John and Jonathan, its humor is timeless.”  

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 16, 2020

The Alienist: Angel of Darkness : Did they not have handcuffs in the early 20th century? Maybe this is why the invented them and instructed cops to search a subject. That was pretty stupid to turn his back on a murder suspect. Almost as dumb when the team entered the house of someone they knew had a gun. At least the brother with a vendetta just happened to tag along too.
You can download The Alienist: Angel of Darkness on iTunes.

The Chi: Oh wow, Ronnie was able to free Keisha with a couple episodes to go. I wonder where they go next. Is that dude dead? If not, could he sue Ronnie for breaking into his house/assault? I know the police cannot do it, but what if it is a citizen? But lucky Kevin, gets caught almost forking someone’s daughter, but saved by a phone call about his missing sister. Kind of have to cut him some slack there.

Stargirl: Of course I was right that Brainwave Jr. was not dead… oh wait, that was really his dad. And Wildcat just slit his throat. Ouch. Shiv just killed her own father. And the little brother just shattered Icicle. Man, they just offed most of the Injustice Society. Yet Hourman Jr. just let Solomon Grundy just bolt. Um, just where is some from the swamp halfwit going to go. But they did tease a few people to show up in season two. Granted I had no clue who the shady dude was or what was going on with the gem. But I did recognize the not dead Starman. But is that really Starman.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: When all those SHIELD agents show up in darkness, when they finally stepped into the light, I thought maybe they would be recognizable people. Oh well. And that was a pretty convoluted explanation of what was going on with Fitz this whole time. That probably should have been longer. And since Mac and YoYo were in Russia, I wonder if that was supposed to tie into the Black Widow movie that was supposed premiere this spring. I also wonder is the there was supposed to be an end credits tie in like usual, maybe to the Winter Soldier which was supposed to premiere this month but has not been able to finish because of the Coronapocalypse.
You can download Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Selena + Chef: I want Selena's knife set. So if anyone want to get a jump on Christmas shopping for me, there you go. But that first dude really needed subtitles. Not good when the wife has to step in to "translate" him.

Around the Tubes: August 15, 2020

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Hulu, The Circus, Made In A Day, Benee, James Bay, April / 月音, James Brown, Tom Morello, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, and Count on Controversy: Inside the Electoral College.

- Here is the Hulu fall schedule.  Click the name to view the trailer (if available):

Series
Woke (September 9)
PEN15 (September 18, half season)
Monsterland (October 2)
Helstrom (October 16)
Eater's Guide to the World (November 11)
No Man's Land (Novmber 18)

Film
The Binge (August 28)
Books of Blood (October 7) 
Bad Hair (October 23)
I Am Greta (November 13)

Family
Find Me in Paris (August 21)
Madagascar: A Little World (September 7, half season)
The Mighty Ones (November 9) 
Animaniacs (November 20)

- THE CIRCUS: INSIDE THE CRAZIEST POLITICAL CAMPAIGN ON EARTH resumes its fifth season this Sunday with an inside look at Joe Biden's history-making selection of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate in the 2020 presidential race.  Hosts John Heilemann, Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon, along with guest contributor Jennifer Palmieri, are back on the campaign trail to explore all sides of the Biden veepstakes rollout, what it means for the Democratic Party's convention next week and the state of the race amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. For a preview, go to: https://youtu.be/e1pM-lqoRzs.

- The iconic, American-made instrument brand, Gibson has been creating, inspiring, and contributing to the ‘share of sound’ for 126 years. After more than a century, Gibson artists, players and fans continue to experience the #1 guitar brand rejuvenated. Gibson is played by the best and brightest artists, across generations and genres and has emerged as the most relevant, most played, and most loved guitar brand around the world.  Filmed on location in the Fall of 2019, National Geographic will take viewers inside the Gibson USA Factory at the brand’s headquarters in Nashville, TN for Made In A Day. Made In A Day, Episode 2 featuring Gibson guitars will air in the U.S. on Saturday, August 15, 2020 at 9:30am EDT/CDT. Internationally, Made In A Day will launch in the U.K. on Thursday, August 13 (see list below for worldwide dates and check local listings for air times).

- New Zealand’s sensation BENEE unveils her new single “Snail”—listen HERE!  On the feel-good summer hit, an upbeat bass line bounces between keyboard bliss as BENEE’s vocals groove into a chantable hook, “I’m like a snail, you’re a guy, kinda mad I can’t fly.” Electronic production, quirky nuances and entrancing delivery make this yet another unpredictable and undeniable anthem from the Platinum songstress.

- James Bay announces his collaboration with Apple Music as part of their latest installment of the Apple Music At Home Session series. For the special edition of the series James covers “Don’t Look Back In Anger” by Oasis and “Trouble” by Coldplay.  Take a listen to Apple Music’s At Home With James Bay Session Here!  On the collaboration Bay said: "It's funny, I didn't really like Oasis or Coldplay as a kid. I picked up a guitar at 11 years old and wanted to be The Rolling Stones, Clapton, Hendrix. But as I got deeper and deeper into songwriting and studying great songs, I came to love Oasis, Coldplay and more great modern songwriters. I totally fell in love with the music. So much so that I now sit and play their songs to myself on guitar, that's why I chose them, they're just so timeless and brilliant."

- Having last month announced news of her new album April / 月音 that will be released on October 9th via Bella Union and shared the track "Dandelions / Liminal", today Emmy The Great has shared new single “Mary”. Listen to it HERE.  Of the track Emmy says: “Mary is named for a Hong Kong fortune teller I met in Kowloon, who gave me the wrong fortune when I mixed up my Cantonese words. It was written in 2017, when I wandered Hong Kong’s neon-lit streets looking to explore my relationship with the city of my birth, unaware that this was the last moment of calm before the city changed beyond recognition with the protests that began in the summer of 2019. Maybe that’s why the song is about a fortune teller who can’t tell the future. The song was later recorded in Brooklyn, with Jo Lampert, my friend and an astonishing singer who played the lead in David Byrne’s Joan of Arc, as ‘Mary’.”

- Urban Legends, a division of UMe, Universal Music Group’s global catalog company, is continuing to spotlight one of the greatest artists of all-time, “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown, with the second installment of the animated mini-series Get Down, The Influence of James Brown.   On September 1, 2020 James Brown’s official YouTube Channel will unveil Funky President, episode two of the new three-part series, following the first episode, Funky Drummer, released on July 10th. Narrated by Questlove (The Roots, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), and featuring Lord Finesse and Co-founder/former EIC of Wax Poetics Magazine, Andre Torres, the three-part series was created by UMe along with Dreambear and explores the sonic DNA of James Brown whose music is continually sampled and whose trademark vocal phrasing is deeply woven into the fabric of Hip-Hop. 

- For the first time, Tom Morello’s remarkable life as a guitarist, songwriter, singer and political activist is captured in Whatever It Takes. This hardback photo memoir will be released in bookstores on October 13^th 2020.  As the cofounder and guitarist of Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage, and as a solo artist and collaborator with artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen and Wu-Tang Clan, few musicians have been as groundbreaking as Tom Morello. Documenting his late start in learning the guitar and early bands, through to forming Rage Against the Machine, his transition into working with the melodic vocals of Chris Cornell in Audioslave, his solo work and collaborations, and on to Prophets of Rage. Throughout the book Morello reflects on how his 'calling' of activism drives his work. He recounts the protests and controversies that he has encountered in his mission to use his guitar as a means to share ideas worth fighting for.

- Yusuf/Cat Stevens has released “On The Road To Find Out," newly recorded and reimagined for the upcoming Tea for the Tillerman² album release, due September 18th via UMe in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the era-defining, multi-platinum selling album.  Inspired by a journey of self-discovery and personal transformation, the new arrangement presents a deeper reflective tone and stark contrast to the original acoustic-folk 1970 recording. As a hypnotic groove unfolds, Yusuf explores R&B’s African desert influences, as soulful guitar riffs and Hammond organ drive like a rambling caravan across an expansive, wide open sonic landscape.  Yusuf delivers a rich and gritty lead vocal in a lower register than some fans may be used to. His lyrics seem to carry more weight through the wisdom and worldly experience Yusuf has acquired since he began his metaphysical journey.

-  Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election despite losing the popular vote by more than three million votes. Could it happen again in 2020?  In Count on Controversy: Inside the Electoral College which airs August 15^th at 10pm ET, CNN’s John Berman walks viewers through one of the most maligned, highly scrutinized and resilient government institutions of the past two hundred years, the Electoral College. Major challenges to the College come up in this journey of historical significance, including a novel court fight that went all the way to the Supreme Court because of the stand several electors took trying to keep Donald Trump out of office.  In collaboration with the alternative rock group​,They Might Be Giants, CNN takes viewers through the hallways of the Electoral College in a highly-entertaining, "Schoolhouse Rock"-style animated history lesson. We explore the origin of the EC from our Founding Fathers, and provide a much-needed face to the identity of the people who actually elect our President.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 9, 2020

The Alienist: Angel of Darkness: So John proposes to Sara, ends up getting engaged to someone in high society, and then Sara decides then, to fork him. That is some cruel stuff right there. Especially when the fiancé explicitly stated she did not want her husband running around like her father did on her mother. I wonder if that gets out before the finale.
You can download The Alienist: Angel of Darkness on iTunes.

The Chi: Oh wow, Ronnie was able to free Keisha with a couple episodes to go. I wonder where they go next. Is that dude dead? If not, could he sue Ronnie for breaking into his house/assault? I know the police cannot do it, but what if it is a citizen? But lucky Kevin, gets caught almost forking someone’s daughter, but saved by a phone call about his missing sister. Kind of have to cut him some slack there.

Stargirl: So the gang has thirty minutes to destroy the mind control thing while having to fight off all the adults, including one with mech suit. That should make for a busy finale. But I still fully expect Brainwave Jr. to show up. And is Shiv just going to be locked up this whole time?

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So they confirmed that we are now in a parallel universe created by the changing timeline which I just assumed considering how is Daisy alive if her mother is dead. But are they just going to be stuck in this timeline forever or can they get back to the normal one?
You can download Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Forking Coronapocalypse. Leaving the show on two humongous cliffhangers before the show could finish the final episode. First the Candlemaker just seemed to absorb Dorothy which is fine, whatever, but everyone is currently encased in wax except Jane. Which begs the question, just where is Jane’s body? She went to the fairgrounds but just disappeared to show some flashback orgies which inexplicably was not broken up by the SeX-Men. We also learned that Miranda is not really Miranda, so who the fork is that and how can she invade the Underground? Could she be linked to the Candlemaker who was able to go to the Underground and kill Baby Doll. And where is Baby Doll in the well? They better announce a renewal so we get answers at that DC Fan Dome coming up (the cast is supposed to be there). Although will there be a DC Universe next year to help foot the bill.

Previewing We Hunt Together

Well it took five months, but networks are finally running pretty low on content. I believe all Showtime have in the can are the miniseries The Good Lord Bird (which was supposed to premiere this week but was pulled in the wake of Black Lives Matter protest for some editing; who would have guessed a slavery show would be too racist?) and the Comey Effect. Your Honor recently got a teaser but no premiere date yet. And while shows are slowly restarting across the globe, it way be a while before Shameless and Billions will be able to film on location in Chicago and New York City respectively.

So here come the imports. Last month Hulu hosted a British Bingathon with five different shows from across the pond. Showtime is filling its hole with We Hunt Together which aired earlier this year in jolly ol’ England. The show is a cat and mouse show with two pairs. Baba saves Freddie from an assault and look to avenge those who wronged her. While Jackson is new to homicide and is teamed with the jaded Lola who try to prove a string of murders are connected.

This is a different kind of cat and mouse as British shows do seem to have different beats to them than their American counterparts. There also seems to be a tinge of very bleak British dark humour that peaks out everyone and a while. There is also an interesting question in the show of how much empathy do adults deserve if they had truly horrendous childhoods. Baba was a child soldier in Africa before moving to England and we learn as the show progresses, Freddie has some dark skeletons in her closet too.

Again, in light of Black Lives Matters, one thing that Jackson says that really stuck out to me was , “The good way to judge a society is by the conduct of its police officers.” While this show aired and was written before the protests here that even spread across the words, kind of a profound sentiment. Hopefully as our society is changing, our police force will also change for the better.

We Hunt Together airs Sundays at 10:00 on Showtime.