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.

Around the Tubes: August 8, 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 Tesla, Bob Marley, Cut Copy, The Go-Go’s, Patti Smith, James Bay, Taylor Swift, Music Gives: Together #forStJude, and Wizard World Virtual Experiences.

-  In Theaters and On Demand August 21st TESLA.  Brilliant, visionary Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke) fights an uphill battle to bring his revolutionary electrical system to fruition, then faces thornier challenges with his new system for worldwide wireless energy. The film tracks Tesla’s uneasy interactions with his fellow inventor Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan) and his patron George Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan). Another thread traces Tesla’s sidewinding courtship of financial titan J.P. Morgan (Donnie Keshawarz), whose daughter Anne (Eve Hewson) takes a more than casual interest in the inventor. Anne analyzes and presents the story as it unfolds, offering a modern voice to this scientific period drama which, like its subject, defies convention. Winner, Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.



- Amazon Music announces [RE]DISCOVER, a new global brand developed to support artist catalogs across all music genres. Launching today with Bob Marley as the first Artist of the Month, the [RE]DISCOVER brand showcases carefully curated artist playlists across various genres and takes listeners on a career-spanning journey of musical discovery, or re-discovery, through the featured artist’s entire body of work. Learn more about [RE]DISCOVER Bob Marley here.  “[RE]DISCOVER was inspired by what many music fans recognize as one of the great joys of the streaming era: our ability to discover or rediscover great music,” said Adam Block, head of catalog music for Amazon Music. “With [RE]DISCOVER, we’ve created a dedicated umbrella under which all catalog music and the stories that accompany them can be experienced. Whether you’re hearing Bob Marley for the first time, or being reminded of his music again, the reward of that experience is real. We’ve created a destination for catalog music that aims to engage both existing fans, and create next generations of them.”

- Beloved Australian electronic act, Cut Copy return with their third single for 2020, “Like Breaking Glass,” out now via Cutters Records/The Orchard. The track is taken from the four-piece’s greatly anticipated sixth studio album, Freeze, Melt, to be released on Friday, August 21. “Like Breaking Glass” summons the quintessential Cut Copy sound from the vault, with high-end sonics and a reverb-laced backbeat upping the mood, while Dan Whitford’s unmistakable vocals conduct a choir of assorted textures, unsuspecting at every turn. Rising and falling vectors tear through warm synth-work and dance-tingling beats, mimicking sentiments behind the physicality of deep love and a heartbreak’s violent rhythms through the body. 

- Watch The Go-Go’s perform their new, critically acclaimed single “Club Zero” (UMe) on Monday, August 10, as part of “The 19th Represents: 2020 Virtual Summit.”  This week-long virtual summit from Aug. 10-14, is to elevate the voices of women who are reshaping the American story and commemorate the centennial of its namesake 19th Amendment. “The 19th Represents: 2020 Virtual Summit” will be live-streamed daily from 2:00-4:45 p.m. ET/1:00-3:45 p.m. CT. Registration is free and available at www.summit.19thnews.org.  “The 19th Represents” lineup will include keynote conversations with voting rights activist Stacey Abrams; former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton; U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris, Tammy Duckworth and Catherine Cortez Masto; Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Melinda Gates; and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.

- Patti Smith presents an evening of words and music celebrating her latest memoir, Year of the Monkey. This will be her only staged program of 2020.  For this one-time event, fans from around the world will be able to see Patti Smith on stage at the Murmrr Theatre in Brooklyn, where she will read from Year of the Monkey and play songs with her longtime bandmate Tony Shanahan.  This event will be filmed by acclaimed cinematographer Matthew Schroeder with a broadcast scheduled on September 4^th @ 9:00PM Eastern Time.

- Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist James Bay shares a brand new Acoustic version of his latest single “Chew On My Heart.”  Check out “Chew On My Heart” (Acoustic) it HERE!  Recently, James performed a gripping 45 minute, 10-song solo set on YouTube in support of #SaveOurVenues- the UK crowd fundraiser started to protect UK grassroots music venues at risk for permanent closure dur to COVID-19. He performed new and old songs as well as a surprise Whitney Houston cover of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” In addition, James performed “Chew On My Heart” on The TODAY Show and the first full band performance of the song on Mahogany Sessions.

- Taylor Swift’s spectacular run last week continues this week with Billboard’s Hot 100 chart announcement. folklore, her 5 star album, debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 this week and her single “cardigan” lands at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her the only artist in history to simultaneously debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100. No artist in the history of Billboard’s charts has ever debuted at both top spots, 200 chart and #1 on the Hot 100 chart.  With all 16 songs from folklore charting on Billboard Hot 100, Taylor Swift becomes the female artist with the most simultaneous debut entries. Taylor is the first artist ever to debut three songs in the Hot 100’s top six spots in a single week and is the first woman to debut two songs in the top five simultaneously with “cardigan” at #1 and “the 1” at #4. In addition, Taylor set a new record as the female artist with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100, with 113 entries.

- Music’s biggest names in pop, R&B, country, Latin, indie, Gospel and more will unite to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®️ for a virtual festival called Music Gives: Together #forStJude, on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 5 p.m. ET. The livestream will have all the makings of a summertime celebration – great music, delicious food and special edition souvenirs – with content across six stages to help raise awareness and support for the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children.®  In addition to music spanning multiple genres, the concert will include intermissions with culinary content from some of America’s most recognized chefs to make at home and enjoy during the festivities. Viewers can tune in and watch on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok with additional announcements on Twitter.

-  Wizard Entertainment, Inc. (OTCBB:WIZD) brings more “Wizard World Virtual Experiences” featuring stars of iconic franchises across its digital video platforms in the coming days and weeks. Today, "X-Men: Animated Series" takes the virtual stage, with voice actors Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Chris Britton (Mr. Sinister) and George Buza (Beast) joining artist/director Larry Houston at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT. On Tuesday Hallmark movies standouts Julie Benz, Amy Acker, Arielle Kebbel, Brant Daugherty, David Alpay, Cerina Vincent and Marshall Williams begin their group Q&A at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. On Sunday, August 16, the “Legends of Tomorrow” headliners Caity Lotz, Brandon Routh, Jes Macallan, Adam Tsekhman and Courtney Ford appear, starting at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.  This is in addition to the previously announced sessions on Saturday, August 8 with "LEGO Masters," The Newlyweds: Tyler and Amy Clites; The Bearded Builders: Boone Langston and Mark Cruickshank; and The Eccentrics: Samuel and Jessica Ragzy Ewud at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT; and on Saturday, August 22 featuring headliners—and Wizard World favorites—from “Smallville,” including Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Erica Durance, Laura Vandervoort, Sam Witwer and the newly added Alan Ritchson at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 2, 2020

The Alienist: Angel of Darkness : Oh wow, only four episodes in and we already know who the killer is. Though plenty of questions remain, most importantly, why is she doing this?
You can download The Alienist: Angel of Darkness on iTunes.

The Chi: So Ronnie heard Keisha, actually went to the house where she was, heard her screaming… and left. Did he think it was best not to confront the dude and is coming back later? I know we still have four more episodes left this season, but at this point they are just stretching thing out. Though I do wonder if Ronnie is the one to save Keisha, will Kevin forgive him for shooting Coogie?

Stargirl: Wait, is Brainwave Jr. really dead? They had a memorial for him but no one discussed how he died nor did they show a body. I still think he might show up. And did Brainwave Sr. do something to the Shining Knight and is that why he is talking like Rain Man? Although since he keeps talking about dragon, that may be a Dragon King reference.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Wait, did they just kill Daisy’s mom before Daisy is born? They also seemed to imply that Fitz is dead before Deke’s mother is born. Shouldn’t they be disappearing Marty McFly style? But I am proud of myself that I actually recognized John Garrett and did not have to go to Google just to see who the fork that was like I do when characters take multiple seasons of (or are played by different actors like in the case).
You can download Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Ugg, they did not kill Dorothy in time. Oh well, maybe The Beekeeper will show up in time to save the world next week.

Around the Tubes: August 1, 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 Helstrom, Rick and Morty, Snow Patrol, The Go-Go's, Evie Irie, somegirlnamedanna, Benee, Soundwalk Collective, Guns N’ Roses, Bastille, Little Steven, Taylor Swift, People Puzzler, Our Cartoon President, and, Vice.

- Talk about some family drama! Join Helstrom showrunner Paul Zbyszewski and cast--Tom Austen, Sydney Lemmon, Elizabeth Marvel, Robert Wisdom, Ariana Guerra, June Carryl and Alain Uy--for one hell of a sneak-peek look and conversation around bringing this terror-filled comic to life during our Comic-Con@Home panel which is now live..  Helstrom will premiere Friday, October 16^th only on Hulu!



- America’s favorite crazy scientist and his grandson return for more misadventures when the latest season of Adult Swim’s hit series Rick and Morty: Season 4 arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on September 22, 2020. From creators Justin Roiland (“Adventure Time”) and Dan Harmon (“Community”), go on an intergalactic journey across the multi-verse with the award-winning comedy, featuring all 10 episodes from Season 4, and outrageous bonus content including A Day at Rick and Morty: Inside Season 4, Inside the Episode for every episode, Creating Snake Jazz, and more. Rick and Morty: Season 4 is priced to own at $24.98 SRP for the DVD ($29.98 in Canada) and $29.98 SRP for the Blu-ray ($39.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (U.S. only). Rick and Morty: Season 4 is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

- Snow Patrol have announced details of a brand-new EP. Written and recorded during lockdown, The Fireside Sessions will be released on 21^st August and 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. It will be released digitally and on CD and will be preceded by the single Reaching Out To You on 30^th July.

- The Go-Go's, the iconic all female L.A. punk band, will release their first new recording in nearly 20 years, "CLUB ZERO," on July 31st on UMe. The band can be seen working on an early version of the song in their new documentary THE GO-GO'S, directed by Alison Ellwood (Laurel Canyon, History of the Eagles) which premieres July 31st at 9 pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME. View the official trailer HERE and music HERE,  Propelled by the spirited, melodic punch we've come to expect from the Southern California band, as well as a catchy, call-to-action chorus, "CLUB ZERO" will certainly join the ranks among an esteemed catalog of Go-Go's classics.

- Evie Irie has been hailed as “one to watch” by her peers and music blogs alike blogs. Like some sort of pop alchemist, the Australian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist turns self-described “weirdness” into universal wonder within her music. By 15-years-old, her talent and drive convinced mom and dad to allow her to move to Nashville where she cut her teeth at countless open mics before winding up in Los Angeles for a short time—a journey chronicled on her 2019 debut EP, 5 Weeks In LA.  Tallying over 6 million streams in a few months’ time, she garnered widespread acclaim from the likes of Refinery29, Idolator, and Atwood Magazine who christened her “one of the most promising teens of pop music today” on its “2020 Artists to Watch.” Simultaneously, she shared the stage with everyone from Sigrid to Bastille.

- Receiving widespread critical acclaim and affirming herself as a rising artist to watch this year, somegirlnamedanna presents her much buzzed about debut EP, twenty one, twenty two, today. Listen HERE via LAVA/Republic Records.  Of the EP, she commented, “twenty one, twenty two represents the journey that the last year has taken me on: the ups and downs, and the love and the heartbreak. To me, this ep has been about self-discovery and the path to self-acceptance. I think it’s easy to forget that people are not living the perfect lives portrayed on social media, and these songs were inspired by the real challenges and downswings that many of us face behind the screen. I want people to remember they are not alone in these times and I hope we continue to display our vulnerabilities and traits that make us human in popular culture.”

- New Zealand’s sensation BENEE drops the official video for her latest single, “Night Garden” feat. Kenny Beats & Bakar—watch HERE!  The animated video, created by animator and illustrator Alisa, follows BENEE as she goes on a haunting adventure in the Night Garden. “Night Garden” has been praised by Billboard, The FADER, E! Online, Teen Vogue, HYPEBEAST, UPROXX, Stereogum and many more, as E! Online hails it as a “somehow pleasantly paranoid piece,” while HYPEBEAST calls it “seriously smooth” and The Sunday Times praises it as “a spare, strung-out, pop-noir gem.” BENEE recently performed the song for MTV PUSH—watch her stripped-back performance shot in New Zealand’s Auckland Art Gallery here.

- With their new album Peradam due for release on September 4th, 2020 via Bella Union, today Soundwalk Collective with Patti Smith have shared new track “Knowledge Of The Self” and an accompanying video that features editing and a visual collage by Anastasia Ivanova. Watch and listen HERE.  Of the track, which features Anoushka Shankar on sitar, Patti Smith says: “We have to, in order to be free of all of the things that we are attached to, even ideas of ourselves, or masks that we put on or Band-Aid’s upon our transgressions, in order to achieve this freedom, we have to peel away everything, every defence we have, every defence that we put up for ourselves. I think that Daumal is directing us to do this but in a benevolent way, although there is no way to protect anyone from the pain of enlightenment, you have to grope about, and you have to strip down.”

-  On September 25, 2020, Guns N’ Roses’ 2004, multi-platinum best of compilation Greatest Hits (Geffen/UMe) will be released on vinyl for the first time. Previously only available digitally and on CD, Greatest Hits will be pressed as a 2LP set on 180gram audiophile black vinyl, a 2LP set on silver colored vinyl with red and white splatter, plus a 2LP picture disc available exclusively through the band’s official store. The vinyl edition of Greatest Hits will also feature the band’s single “Shadow of Your Love,” which hit No. 5 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Originally recorded in December 1986, “Shadow of Your Love” made its debut on the 2018 box set Appetite For Destruction.  All three versions can each be pre-ordered here. 

- Bastille’s electrifying new song might feel like a bit of a surprise release, not least to the band themselves, but as frontman Dan Smith says, “We finished the song, and it felt urgent. We didn’t want to sit on it.”  A thunderous, furious, short sharp shock, “WHAT YOU GONNA DO???” feat. Graham Coxon comes after the dust settled on the band’s acclaimed third album Doom Days—the final instalment in a trilogy that’s spanned eight years and brought Bastille multi-platinum sales, global success and a position as one of the world’s most-streamed bands. Fans may have grown accustomed to albums arriving with fully formed, meticulously executed, creative ecosystems, but this time it’s all change.  LISTEN TO “WHAT YOU GONNA DO???” feat. Graham Coxon HERE AND WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO HERE!

- Little Steven’s acclaimed career-spanning box set, RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work is out now via Wicked Cool/UMe. The 13-disc CD/DVD set collects all of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s solo records between 1982 and 1999, including newly remastered editions of six classic albums: Men Without Women (1982), Voice Of America (1983), Freedom – No Compromise (1987), Revolution (1989) and Born Again Savage (1999), as well as the landmark protest record, Sun City (1985), by Artists United Against Apartheid, the supergroup of musicians brought together by Van Zandt, record producer Arthur Baker and journalist Danny Schechter, to fight racial injustice in South Africa. Men Without Women, Voice Of America, and Freedom – No Compromise each include an exclusive DVD featuring a classic full-length live concert video from the same era as the album.

- Seven days ago, Taylor Swift surprised fans with the unexpected release of her critically-acclaimed 5 star album, folklore. Since its release, folklore has cemented itself as the top selling album of 2020.  folklore stands out as the #1 album in the world with global sales over 2 million worldwide and over half a billion total streams on audio and video in just one week. It has reached #1 on iTunes in more than 85 countries. The album marks the biggest UK debut for a female artist in 2020 and becomes her most streamed album in it’s first week in the UK.  The stunning lead single from the album, “cardigan,” debuted #1 on the Global Spotify chart, claiming the most daily Spotify streams in 2020. It also reaches #1 on iTunes song chart and was the most added song at Top 40 and Hot AC radio airplay charts nationwide. The song was also added straight to the A list on BBC Radio 1 in the UK.

- Game Show Network, the leader in game shows and competitive entertainment, has announced Emmy® Award winner Leah Remini as host of new pop culture crossword game show, PEOPLE PUZZLER. The half-hour original series is anticipated to premiere in early 2021.  In PEOPLE PUZZLER, three lucky contestants will put their pop culture knowledge to the test to complete iconic, PEOPLE PUZZLER crosswords.  The player who has won the most points after three rounds will move on to the Fast Puzzle Bonus Round where they will have the opportunity to win a cash prize.

- The SHOWTIME animated series OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT will continue its third season on Sunday, September 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. Executive produced by multiple Emmy^® winner Stephen Colbert, showrunner R.J. Fried and Late Show executive producer Chris Licht, OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT sets its sights on the most consequential election in history to determine who will be the next Cartoon President. Can Cartoon Joe Biden overcome his frequent gaffes and basement isolation to unseat Cartoon President Trump, who’s struggling to win re-election? Season three ended in March of this year with nine episodes and will conclude with the final nine half-hour episodes tied to the 2020 Presidential election.   For a sneak peek at the new season, go to https://youtu.be/QNS45O0635w.

-  SHOWTIME has picked up a second season of VICE, the award-winning documentary series that recently wrapped its first season on the network and received a 2020 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special. Delivering immersive reporting from the frontlines of global conflicts, civil uprisings and beyond, the VICE team of journalists rapidly adapted this past season to cover stories of the Covid-19 pandemic and its rippling effect on local communities around the world, reporting from high-risk epicenters in New York, Italy, Brazil, Iran, Cambodia and more. The announcement was made today by Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

Previewing The Go-Go's

The start of Alison Ellwood’s (History of The Eagles) latest documentary The Go-Go’s, it says the band was the first all-girl band to pay all their instruments and write all their singers and were successful. Not too surprising of a factoid. Then the film ends with that same fact but adds that they are the first all-female band who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to reach Number One in the Billboard chart and that no other band has matched that achievement. Now that was surprising. But when you think about it, Hole had a dude in it. Bands like L7 and Bikini Kill did not put much of a dent on the charts. Granted upon further reflection, I guess the band formally known as The Dixie chicks do not count because they are country? And to save you a google search, The Bangles topped out at number two on the albums chart, but had two number one singles and five top ten hits. So that fact does have a few asterisks to it.

I was hesitant to watch The Go-Go’s after watching Showtime’s Duran Duran documentary that pretty much seemed like an extended version of their Behind the Music episode. The Go-Go’s also had a very memorable Behind the Episode where their squeaky bubblegum pop image was dirtied up with tails of drugs and sex. But this documentary seems much more comprehensive than the salacious VH1 episode that aired over two decades ago.

We get a much more in depth look at the early life of the bandmates; include the two early members who did not make it to the first album. The band does not even release their first album until half way through the film, roughly the same time as a full episode of Behind the Music. So we get a lot more detail of that early time in the bands history with the 1979 punk rock scene where being terrible was cool.

Then we get the story of their three successful eighties album where, yes, the drugs and inter-band squabbles brought down the band as detailed in the Behind the Music episode but pretty much ends with the band. There is very little discussion of Belinda Carlisle’s successful solo career and the only time any of their various reunions in the nineties and 00’s were mentioned was a vague reference that when the band in present day is filmed writing their first new song since 2001. I may have not spent much time thinking about the band in the last thirty years, but after watching The Go-Go’s, the doc does make a decent case for their inclusion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Go-Go’s premieres tonight at 9:00 on Showtime.

57 Channels and Only This is On: July 26, 2020

The Alienist: Angel of Darkness : Thankfully we are finally done with the boy prostitutes serial killer storyline and can move on. Oh, the new season is about a baby serial killer? That is actually worse somehow.
You can download The Alienist: Angel of Darkness on iTunes.

The Chi: Okay, we finally learn what happened to Keisha: kidnapping by a creepy dude. Thankfully they did not drag that out all season (though we may still have to wait until the end of the season until she gets free). Oh, and Ronny hears her. Although, does he know where it is coming from. It is in the middle of a blackout. But I got to say, blackout episodes are always entertaining, more shows should do it.

Black Monday: Wait, so everything last week was part of Mo’s plan? That was very convoluted. And a bit confusing. Why did Horatio Sanz confess to Black Monday? If he confessed, why is Dawn in prison too? And if the other Lehman brother was the patsy, why did no one arrest him? Granted, if he can survive being crushed in a car, I am sure he can survive a wolf mauling.

Stargirl: So am I really supposed to believe Brainwave Jr. is dead? The guy does have the power to create a force field around himself to keep him from being crushed. I am sure he will show up in the finally just as it looks like the Injustice Society is about to prevail and save the day. But is Starman really alive and sending e-mails? Seems like it would be hard to survive an icicle through the heart.
You can download Stargirl on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Well that was an interesting take on Groundhog Day which each reboot getting shorter and shorter. I also liked that we apparently started on the hundred take and we later learned that Coulsen was also part of the loop. But poor Enoch, dude gets left behind multiple times in the past and then has to sacrifice himself to save everything. Although, is he dead-dead? Can they not just put that power source back in him at some point? And what was with Simmons crying after getting the memory suppressor out? The only thing I could think of is could it be possible that Fitz is already dead?
You can download Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Please let the Constantine knock off kill Dorothy because she is really bringing down this season. Okay, the Scants turning everyone dumb were pretty funny. And we finally got an Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Mam update though it seems like the sex ghost are replacing him as the recurring gag this season..

Blindspot: Earlier this season Weller’s dad came back during his hallucination and I thought that was a weird person, of everyone who has appeared, to bring back. Weller Sr. and Jane’s first boyfriend who I had to look up. I guess they were saving everyone else for the finale. Though I feel bad for everyone who was relegated to just turning their heads in Times Square. But in the end Jane died… I think. That could have been the hallucination for the optimist I guess. Or maybe she actually died when that bomb went off last episode. Really, she breathed all that in and only need a simple antidote to survive?
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: July 25, 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 Taylor Swift, Alison Brie, Summer Sonic, Morgan Harper-Jones, Evie Irie, South of Eden, Katy J Pearson, and Nelly.

- Most of the things Taylor Swift had planned for the summer of 2020 didn’t end up happening but…there was something magical that did happen, the surprise release of her 8^th studio album, folklore.  “Before this year I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the “perfect” time, but the times we’re living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed,” said Taylor. “My gut telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world. That’s the side of uncertainty I can get on board with.”  This spectacular 16-song album was produced by Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift and features a musical collaboration with Bon Iver. CD, Vinyl and Cassette editions of the album will feature one bonus track.  “cardigan” - the first official single release from folklore - is also released today. It is written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner and produced by Aaron Dessner. The accompanying music video was directed by Taylor Swift.

- Alison Brie and Dave Franco Wrote a Rom-Com in Two Weeks:


- One of the world's biggest annual music festivals, Summer Sonic, will stream legendary archive live performances on July 22 and 23 for Free via the Summer Sonic YouTube channel: Here.  Day 2 (Thursday, July 23) of the streaming event will present epic sets from Green Day (2012), Nine Inch Nails (2009), Rihanna (2012), The Prodigy (2008), and X JAPAN (2011).

- Hailing from Rochdale in Greater Manchester, 23 year-old newcomer Morgan Harper-Jones has today shared her debut EP Breathe, including a new reimagined version of Whitney Houston's iconic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)". Watch and listen to it HERE.  A talk all night, tales for days, brutally honest songwriter and storyteller, Morgan Harper-Jones has been perfecting her craft and performing across the north west of England for a few years; in early 2020 she stepped into focus and introduced herself to the wider world with a simply stunning debut release. "Breathe" went on to draw praise from a slew of radio stations including BBC 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne & Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, BBC Introducing in Manchester, The Selector/BBC 1Xtra’s Jamz Supernova, and more.

- Buzzing as a bona fide artist to watch, seventeen-year-old Sydney-born singer/songwriter Evie Irie unveils a new single entitled “Little More Love” today. Get it HERE via Republic Records. Check out the official lyric video HERE.  The song heralds the arrival of her much-anticipated new project, The Optimist EP, releasing on August 14, 2020.  On the “Little More Love”, Evie comments, “I wrote this song in a time when I felt the world needed a little more love. A year later I have realised that love isn’t just something we need in moments of struggle, love should always be a constant.”  

- After their announcement that they have officially signed to Lava/Republic Records, Columbus, OH four-piece South of Eden release the official music video to their new single “Dancing With Fire.”    Watch the official music video for “Dancing With Fire” Here!  On the music video the band said “ “We wanted this to be a personality piece, and with all of us in quarantine we knew the best way to do that was to show what we have accomplished leading up to this release. John Payne, our media man, has been following us around for the last two years! The best thing to show with raw music is raw footage.”

- Katy J Pearson is pleased to announce news of her debut album, Return, which will be released on November 13th, 2020 via Heavenly Recordings. Alongside this news she has shared new track "Fix Me Up" and its accompanying video. Watch and listen HERE.  Speaking about about the track Katy said: "Quite an old song now, but it’s still very special to me! It’s very personal and is really about wanting independence in life after messy situations. In times of darkness feeling that pang of loneliness; wanting someone else to be there to help you put all the pieces back together - which I’m sure is something we can all relate too."

- Nelly, the St. Louis-bred hip-hop juggernaut revered for No. 1 hits like "Grillz," "Hot in Herre," "Dilemma," and "Shake Ya Tailfeather," will re-release his stone-classic debut album Country Grammar on July 24 via Republic/UMe. Hailed upon release by Rolling Stone as "the best thing to come out of St. Louis since Redd Foxx," by NME as the "album of the year so far" and by People, who proclaimed that Nelly "marked his hometown of St. Louis as a major contender," Country Grammar debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 and soon vaulted to No. 1. In 2016, the RIAA certified the album Diamond, selling more than 10 million copies to date, a feat which placed Nelly among rock superstars like Led Zeppelin, the Doors and Bruce Springsteen.