I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Olivia Rodrigo, Panic, Lavelle Crawford: The Comedy Vaccine, Temptations, Joy Oladokun, Haerts, Noah Kahan, Ariana Grande, Ida Maria, Glass Animals, Armchair Expert, The Great, Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible, and Los Angeles Lakers..
- Vevo, the world’s leading music video network, today announced that 2021’s break-through artist Olivia Rodrigo has been named their first LIFT artist of 2021, and has released a live performance of “deja vu,” shot on film. WATCH "DEJA VU (LIVE PERFORMANCE) | VEVO LIFT" Vevo’s LIFT program connects today’s up-and-coming and most relevant artists to audiences around the world through music video content. Launched in 2011, Vevo's artist development program shines a spotlight on the world's freshest new talent. Vevo LIFT alumni include the likes of Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Halsey, Khalid, Jorja Smith, YUNGBLUD, and more.
- The official trailer and first-look episodic images for season one of Panic are available now. The ten-episode Amazon Original series will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, May 28, 2021 in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.
- Lavell Crawford returns for his third SHOWTIME comedy special LAVELL CRAWFORD: THE COMEDY VACCINE, premiering Friday, May 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. In the hour-long special filmed at the Tempe Improv in Arizona, Crawford reflects back on a tumultuous year of living through a global pandemic with an added punchline. From the panic of looking for toilet paper to attending virtual church services and wearing masks, Crawford brings levity to the many shared lifestyle changes we’ve experienced during a life in lockdown while also touching on his own quarantine frustrations with whimsical banter. To watch and share the trailer from LAVELL CRAWFORD: THE COMEDY VACCINE, go to: https://youtu.be/O5nNnUZGgsw.
- Motown/UMe is pleased to announce the kickoff of the 60th Anniversary celebration of the legendary, Grammy Award-Winning Temptations. The Temptations are one of the most revered and prolific musical institutions of all time. Motown luminaries, The Temptations, are today, one of the most iconic, bestselling brands in the entertainment world. With Otis Williams, the founding and sole surviving member of The Temptations, their popularity is ever-increasing and their track record of continuing to sell decades worth of history-making music is breathtaking.
- Emerging singer, songwriter and musician Joy Oladokun joined forces with Grammy Award-winning artist Maren Morris for her new song, “Bigger Man,” out today. Listen/share HERE. Written by Oladokun, Morris, Jimmy Robbins and Laura Veltz, the track is the latest unveiled from Oladokun’s highly-anticipated forthcoming major label debut album, set for release on Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records.
- Nini Fabi and Benny Gebert, the German-born, New York-based duo HAERTS are sharing their latest chapter “Days Go By” HERE from their upcoming third album Dream Nation which comes out next week, May 21st via AntiFragile Records. The single comes with a filmed live version which was shot at Valentine Recording Studios in North Hollywood HERE.
- Vermont singer and songwriter Noah Kahan returns with his new single entitled “Part of Me” out now via Republic Records—listen HERE. The introspective anthem reflects a natural progression for the artist. Noah’s signature storytelling and evocative lyrics shine over upbeat guitar and production by his frequent collaborator and Grammy Award-winning producer Joel Little (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Shawn Mendes, Jonas Brothers, Khalid). The momentum of the verses crashes right into the all-too-relatable hook as he confesses, “I don’t miss you. I miss the way you made me feel.”
- Ariana Grande just made history again. The GRAMMY® Award-winning and record-breaking multiplatinum superstar has emerged as The First Artist To Simultaneously Land Three Songs in the Top 10 of the Billboard Pop Airplay Chart and The First Artist To Simultaneously Land Three Songs in the Top 10 of the Mediabase Top 40. These entries include blockbuster singles “positions,” “34+35,” and “pov”—available on her 2020 album, Positions. Additionally, for a second consecutive week, Grande and The Weeknd currently hold the #1 Billboard Hot 100 spot with “Save Your Tears”.
- The opening to "Dirty Money" will immediately grab listeners and confirm that this indisputable viking punk Queen Ida Maria has retained the same rebellious attitude that got her in the game, while referencing the lifestyle of an industry's enabling that took her out of the game for a brief time. Featuring a punk blast of garage guitar, 'Dirty Money' carries the high-energy punk-pop Ida's been widely acclaimed for with cheeky lyrics that are sugar-coated with a highly addictive chorus, addressing much more serious topics that are frustrating to her. Ida's personal experiences with greed and corruption are detailed with a racket of petulant screams, among them "Pay me all your Dirty oney/I'm your favorite monkey/watch me go!!!"
- Glass Animals today release the endearingly trippy video for their single “Space Ghost Coast To Coast,” taken from their acclaimed third album Dreamland released last year—watch HERE. The UK band has experienced a huge global rise in support for their single “Heat Waves,” with the original now surpassing 500 million streams and climbing up the Top 40 Radio Chart, and the band recently released a version of “Heat Waves” featuring iann dior—listen HERE.
- Spotify (NYSE: SPOT) announced today a multiyear exclusive license agreement with one of the world’s most listened-to and shared podcasts, the award-winning Armchair Expert podcast, co-hosted by actor, filmmaker and comedian Dax Shepard and Emmy-nominated producer and personality Monica Padman. In addition to bringing the widely-popular podcast to the Spotify platform exclusively, the deal also covers a first look with Armchair Umbrella Network. All existing and new episodes of Armchair Expert, which is produced by Rob Holysz, Padman and Shepard, will remain free and available exclusively on Spotify starting July 1st.
- Hulu announced that Gillian Anderson will be joining the cast of the second season of Emmy, SAG, Golden Globe and WGA-nominated series “The Great.” Gillian Anderson (“The Crown,” “Sex Education,” “The Fall” and “The X-Files”) will join the cast of Hulu’s critically-acclaimed Original comedy series “The Great” in a two-episode appearance as Catherine’s (Elle Fanning) mother, Joanna. Joanna is a glamorous socialite from Germany, sometimes also known as the “maestro of marriage” for her abilities to arrange high profile partnerships for her daughters. She has heard rumors of her daughter’s coup and come to Russia to see it for herself. Though the apple of Catherine’s eye and a doting mother, it soon becomes clear Johanna has more sinister intentions to save her family’s reputation.
- SHOWTIME Sports has announced the title and premiere date of the upcoming documentary KEVIN GARNETT: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, chronicling the career of one of the NBA’s all-time greats. The film will premiere on Friday, July 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and will include scenes from Garnett’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, taking place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut this Saturday. To watch and share a teaser of the upcoming documentary, go to https://youtu.be/RErHyWLzTN8.
- Hulu announced that a new expansive, nine-part Original docuseries chronicling the history of the storied Los Angeles Lakers franchise will join the Hulu Originals lineup. The project comes to Hulu from Lakers’ CEO and controlling owner Jeanie Buss, Emmy® Award-winning director Antoine Fuqua, in association with Fuqua Films, as well as Haven Entertainment and Los Angeles Media Fund. The series details the past four decades of the Lakers, and contains colorful and emotional new interviews from over 35 people within the organization, including the Buss family, legendary coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, and NBA Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and team captain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among numerous other current and former players. Also featured are interviews with a range of high-profile fans and a treasure trove of archival footage featuring never-before-seen interviews with the Lakers late owner, Jerry Buss.