Around the Tubes: August 10, 2024

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 Tell Me Lies, Snow Patrol, UB40, John Legend, and The Oak Ridge Boys.

- Tell Me Lies season two premieres with two episodes Wednesday, September 4 on Hulu.  Tell Me Lies Season 2 picks up as Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) return to college, not speaking after their dramatic breakup at the start of the summer. Yet while very much at odds, they find themselves in a new version of their addictive dynamic - which is as infuriating as it is inescapable. Meanwhile, the story expands deeper into the lives of Lucy and Stephen’s friend group, as the fallout from Season One impacts all of their lives in unexpected ways.

- SNOW PATROL released new single “All” via Republic Records. It is the third song to be shared from the Northern Irish band’s forthcoming new album The Forest Is The Path, which is set for release on September 13^th and marks their eagerly awaited return after six years, following 2018’s Wildness.  LISTEN HERE

 
- On Saturday, August 10th, the legendary four-time Grammy nominated reggae-pop band UB40 will take the stage for a sold-out performance at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre on their current “Red Red Wine Tour,” celebrating 45 years of music and the recent release of their new album, “UB45.” Music fans everywhere are invited to experience this iconic event - UB40: LIVE FROM THE ST. AUGUSTINE AMPHITHEATRE - as it broadcasts LIVE exclusively on premier streaming platform Veeps at approximately 9:00 PM ET. Veeps All Access subscribers can watch the show for free, and individual tickets are on sale for $19.99 at UB40 - Live from The St. Augustine Amphitheatre - VEEPS.  Formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England, UB40 has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and achieved considerable international success. The band will bring their trademark hits such as “Red, Red Wine,” “Food For Thought,” “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love with You,” new songs from UB45, and many more, to The St. Augustine Amphitheatre show.

- Los Angeles, CA – Multi-platinum, 12-time Grammy Award-winner John Legend today announced that he will release My Favorite Dream, an album of sing-alongs and lullabies for children and families,  via  Republic  Records:  Kids  &  Family  on  August  30.   Produced  by singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens, the project features nine original tracks written by Legend. As part of a collaboration with Fisher-Price, the album also includes three bonus tracks with covers of songs from their beloved toys. In conjunction with the album announcement, Legend shared the lead single from the project titled “L-O-V-E.” The bright, up-tempo anthem, featuring his wife (Chrissy Teigen) and two oldest children (Luna and Miles Stephens) on backing vocals, with single artwork created by Luna, is available HERE. Watch the accompanying music video HERE. Pre-save My Favorite Dream HERE.  “I’m right in the thick of fatherhood,” says Legend, father of daughter Luna (8), son Miles (6) and two toddlers, daughter Esti and son Wren. “My parents loved to sing around the house, making up bedtime songs for us and songs to motivate and inspire us. And Chrissy and I also love singing to our kids. We make up little jingles and ditties for them all the time. In our home, music is very important to the way we interact and communicate with them.”

- GRAMMY® Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members The Oak Ridge Boys have released a music video for “Elvira” for the first time ever! In 1981, “Elvira” became a crossover pop smash with Joe Bonsall’s tenor lead and bass singer Richard Sterban’s unforgettable ‘oom papa mau mau’ refrain. The song brought the Oaks one of their five Grammy Awards, went double Platinum, and won the Single of the Year award from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, along with many other awards. To turn this video into the experience of the century, they invited several of their closest friends to appear in “Elvira,” including Andrea Pearson, Ben James, Big & Rich, Chase Matthew, Danni Stefanetti, Deborah Allen, Denzel & Angelina Irwin (aka Santa and Mrs. Claus from Santa’s Pub in Nashville), Hillary Williams, Kid Rock, Lorrie Morgan, Ray Stevens, Stephon Riley, T. Graham Brown, Tenille Arts, The Gatlin Brothers, Tico Herandez, Trace Adkins, and Zach Williams. The Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira” video was directed and produced by Brandon Wood / IndieBling and was premiered by Billboard.  To purchase/stream: orcd.co/orb-elvira

57 Channels and Only This Is On: August 4, 2024

 

House of the Dragon:  I complained about the lack of deaths at the end of the last couple episodes.  Well, we got more than a few this week.  But of course the two silver heads we have been randomly checking in on all season ended up being the two that claimed the dragons.

 

Snowpiercer:  A peacekeeping unit authorized to use force.  How ironic.  Disappointing no one pointed that out to them.   But I feel we need a lot more background on them and why they are stealing children.

 

Orphan Black: Echoes:  Nice casual mention that we go to Mars in forty years.  But shouldn’t we colonize the moon first?  I honestly forgot what else happened this week.

 

The Ark:  So they are just going to end every episode this season with a wild cliffhanger?  Last week it was the sentient lightning, and this week the Irish dude just disappears.  Though the promo monkeys spoiled it is a multiverse situation.  I guess this is how they bring back the generic hot blonde.   I wonder if this is how they introduce the one dude’s daughter that may or may not have been killed.  Considering how Trust brings up his dead wife at every chance, they will probably bring her back too.

 

2024 Olympic Games:  It seems like every Olympics I find a new weird sport to get transfixed by.  This time around it was Slalom: Kayak Cross.  There are three to four kayaks on the course at the same time, they drop them all from a one story building, and there is a point in the course where they were required to capsize their kayak and go underwater.  This is going on my must watch list for future Games.

Around the Tubes: August 3, 2024

   

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 MisterWives, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Low Cut Connie, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, America, Amy Helm, Ruthie Foster, Rick and Morty, The Mask and, Succession.

- New York City/Los Angeles-based alt-pop group MisterWives finally share Nosebleeds: Encore, the highly anticipated deluxe version of their 2023 album, Nosebleeds, out everywhere now. Alongside the full project, the band shares the cathartic, empowering female rage anthem and official video "Vultures" featuring PVRIS out everywhere now. The 17 track album is complete with an astonishing list of all-female collaborators and reworked tracks, including appearances by Betty Who, Pom Pom Squad, Meet Me @ The Altar, Against The Current and more, and a remix by The Aces. See the staggering list of guests below.  This fall, MisterWives will embark on the MisterWives: Just For One Night! tour with support from Joan, Juliana Madrid, Moody Joody and Meg Smith beginning with the band taking the Austin City Limits stage on October 6 and October 13. Tickets are on sale now here with a full list of dates below.

- Multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® Inductees Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo announce new vinyl reissues of three seminal albums, Crimes Of Passion, In The Heat Of The Night, and Precious Time, out September 13, 2024, via UMe.  Each LP will be available in various limited-edition configurations: In The Heat Of The Night will be pressed on either Black or Tangerine Vinyl, Crimes Of Passion on either Black or Opaque Magenta Vinyl, and Precious Time on either Black or Opaque Fruit Punch Vinyl.  “We know how much you’ve wanted reissues of the early records on vinyl. Finally, here they are! Happy listening, enjoy!” – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo  Preorder In The Heat Of The Night, Crimes Of Passion, and Precious Time HERE.

- Low Cut Connie announced a distribution agreement with Dark Star Pictures for his hybrid documentary / concert film ART DEALERS. Dark Star Pictures has acquired North American rights to ART DEALERS and will release the film theatrically starting in early September, followed by a VOD/digital and physical media release on October 1.  Low Cut Connie has also announced a fall headline tour in support of the film release. The tour will kick off on October 10 in Portland, ME and will make stops in Boston, Jersey City, the historic First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN and many more. All tickets are on sale now.  Rolling Stone premiered the trailer for the film and spoke with Weiner about the film, proclaiming “As a music doc, Art Dealers succeeds on the strength of the musicians it profiles: not just the group’s flamboyant frontman, but the ragtag bunch of players who join him as he schleps his piano around the country. As a concert film, it expertly summons the sweaty revival that is a Low Cut Connie gig by culling the best from three shows at New York’s Sony Hall and jazz outpost the Blue Note.” 

- John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reunited in the studio for the first time since the breakup of The Beatles in 1970 to record the song “I’m The Greatest” for Ringo’s eponymous solo album released that year. Recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles in March 1973, John, George and Ringo were joined by long time Beatles’ associates Klaus Voorman on bass and Billy Preston on organ, with producer Richard Perry at the helm. This would be the only time the three former Beatles recorded together between the band’s breakup and John’s death in 1980.  “I’m The Greatest” was written by John in 1970 shortly after the world’s most famous band broke up and was inspired both by Muhammed Ali’s famous catchphrase and watching the first UK television broadcast of “A Hard Day’s Night.” John then tailored the wry lyrics for Ringo to sing several years later. “I couldn’t sing it,” John told Playboy in 1980. “But it was perfect for Ringo. He could say, ‘I’m the greatest’ and people wouldn’t get upset. Whereas if I said ‘I’m the greatest,’ they’d all take it so seriously.” Ringo commented, “It’s very tongue in cheek. Only [John] could have written it and only I could have sung it.”  Stream Mind Games (Ultimate Mixes), featuring “I’m The Greatest” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll People,” here: https://johnlennon.lnk.to/TumPR

- When iconic band AMERICA stepped on the stage of the world-famous Hollywood Bowl on August 3rd, 1975, they were at the top of their game. The chart-topping folk-rock trio had just released its fifth album, Hearts, which boasted the band’s second #1 single, “Sister Golden Hair.” Today, one day before the 49th anniversary of that legendary AMERICA performance, the Grammy-winning band will issue a stunning live version of “Sister Golden Hair.” This will be the second single from AMERICA’s highly-anticipated upcoming live album, America – Live From The Hollywood Bowl 1975 (Primary Wave Music; distributed by Sun Records), out September 6, 2024. It’s hard to believe that “Sister Golden Hair” had only been out for just six months when AMERICA performed it at the Hollywood Bowl back in 1975. The live version here is mature, just like the live staple it has since become. AMERICA plays it faithful to the record, putting the interplay of the original trio of Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek front and center. A thicket of strummed acoustic guitars lay a foundation for the balmy harmony vocals, and the instantly-recognizable slide guitar melody. As the song patiently unfolds, the harmony vocals swell to choir-size, rocketing the song skyward. Pre-order and pre-save the album now on vinyl, CD, digital including exclusive merchandise bundles here.  Stream & download “Sister Golden Hair” here.

- Amy Helm, the esteemed singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, unveils her evocative new single "Baby Come Back," offering another powerful preview of her forthcoming album, Silver City, which is set for release on September 6 via Sun Records.  Following the success of her first single, "Money On 7” (which was featured in Folk Alley’s Fresh Cuts and on Apple Music’s "New in Americana" and Amazon Music’s "Fresh Folk & Americana" playlists), Helm continues to explore profound themes with "Baby Come Back." With its buzzy guitars and powerful vocals, this poignant track delves into the raw emotions of reclaiming oneself after heartache. Helm's soulful delivery and powerful songwriting capture the essence of healing and resilience, making "Baby Come Back" a standout addition to Silver City.

- It’s been an awe-inspiring journey for Ruthie Foster, the singer-songwriter heralded for her powerful blend of blues, folk, and gospel. Today, Ruthie pays tribute to her lineage as a Black artist and a Sun Records artist with her latest single, a sensual, blues reading of “That’s All Right,” as made famous by Elvis Presley. “That’s All Right” will be the third single from Ruthie’s milestone tenth studio album, Mileage, and her first album for Sun Records. The ten-song record was produced by Tyler Bryant (Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown), and it will be released via Sun August 23rd.  Stream ‘That’s All Right’ Here and Pre-Order ‘Mileage’ Here

- Fans can travel across the multi-verse with the epic release of the Rick and Morty: The Complete Seasons 1-7 boxed set on DVD on September 10. Get Schwifty while you binge on one of cable’s most-watched comedies that follows the sci-fi misadventures of genius scientist Rick and his family. Rick and Morty: The Complete Seasons 1-7 includes all 71 episodes from seven seasons of the award-winning series, copious special features, audio commentary, deleted scenes, “Inside the Episode” segments, numerous featurettes, animatic sketches, and more. Preorder your copy now.

- What better way to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of The Mask than catching up on the animated series inspired by the beloved theatrical film.  When he dons an ancient Nordic mask, Stanley Ipkiss moves at warp speed, knows your every desire, satisfies your every whim and dances like Fred Astaire, Gumby and Barishnikov combined. He's s-s-s-smokin'! Based on the film The Mask, this animated series tells the story of sweet, socially inept bank teller Ipkiss, who discovers a mask that transforms him into a superhero ... but one whom you may not want to call for help.  Available now for purchase digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango at Home and more.

- UPDATED RELEASE DATE:  Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment will be newly releasing Succession: The Complete Series on Blu-ray. Get ready to binge on all 39 episodes from HBO’s Emmy® award-winning original series, along with all the previously released special features. The brilliant high-stakes drama following the Roy Family and their quest for power will be available to purchase online on August 27. Pre-order your copy today.  Succession stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, J. Smith-Cameron, Peter Friedman, David Rasche, and Fisher Stevens.

Transmissions from Pluto - Everything coming to Pluto TV in August

 

Pluto TV is boldly going where no streamer has gone before, becoming the first service to offer the entire Star Trek film series for free! Pluto TV has long been home to a galaxy of science fiction entertainment and now all of the cinematic adventures of the Star Trek Prime universe (William Shatner and Patrick Stewart) and the Kelvin universe (Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto) are beaming up to your favorite device this August.  And for those who think a lot of science fiction might be science fact, we also welcome the paranormal investigation series Alien Nation by Dust to the service. Also joining Pluto TV in August are three new channels from FOX, This Old House and more.  For a closer look at all the sci-fi adventures and more entertainment coming to Pluto TV in August, check out the latest edition of Transmissions from Pluto.

STREAM DIRECTIVE SCI-FI PICKS FROM THE PLUTO TV CREW

Clockwise: Pluto TV's Vibol Hou, Catherine Povinelli, Carl Garcia, Mario Tardón, Jeremy Hefter and Dina DeLong  In honor of the launch of our Star Trek: The Motion Pictures channel, the loyal crew of the U.S.S. Pluto TV has charted a course to help audiences navigate the captivating worlds and dimensions of the streaming universe. Set your phasers to stream and prepare for an out-of-this-world experience with their hand-picked recommendations from across our Sci-Fi Category. Sci-Fi Channels “I could leave Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or Stargate on all day.” - Vibol Hou (Chief Product & Technology Officer) Star Trek (2009) “Kicking off the modern ‘Kelvin Timeline,’ this fast-paced popcorn film reboots the Star Trek film franchise with a charming new cast of the USS Enterprise with fun nods to the original series. Buckle up for a funny, thrilling, and lens-flare filled adventure.” - Dina DeLong (Senior Program Manager)  The Twilight Zone “I am pretty old school and love things that make me scratch my head and challenge the normality in this strange society that we live in today.” - Jeremy Hefter (Director of Product Management)  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home “This movie has comedy, time travel, romance, and huge whales! I vividly remember watching it in the movie theatre in the north of Spain, where I grew up with my parents, and feeling that there’s life out there. Take your shoes off, grab a snack, and enjoy Spock in a karate outfit running through the eighties in San Francisco.” - Mario Tardón (Channel Coordinator) Farscape & Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars  “Let your freak flag fly with one of sci-fi's weirdest and most underrated TV shows. Inventive and strange with a cast of underseen Australian character actors and incredible alien puppetry by Jim Henson Studios.” - Carl Garcia (Associate Programming Manager) Mork & Mindy “One of my favorites from my childhood. Robin Williams is truly out of this world and this show always has me laughing.” - Catherine Povinelli (Executive Assistant)

SUMMER OF CINEMA

Pluto TV’s Free Movie Weekend tour has been traveling across the country, bringing audiences together to celebrate our shared love of iconic films enjoyed with tasty popcorn on warm summer nights. And we're not finished yet! Join us for good flicks and fun times at any of these theaters, and we’ll see you at the movies! August 3-4: The Colonial Theatre - Phoenixville, PA August 10-11: Stuart Cinema and Cafe - Brooklyn, NY August 17-18: Capitol Theatre - Arlington, MA August 24-25: Redford Theatre - Detroit, MI August 31-September 1: Music Box Theatre - Chicago, IL

PREPPING FOR LAUNCH

Here are some of the new channels and movies launching throughout August on Pluto TV.  Alien Nation by Dust The ultimate destination for all things unexplained. Dive into the mysterious world of UFO hunting, alien abductions, and ghostly encounters with iconic hosts, mind-bending series, and shocking documentaries. Uncover the truth with us, 24/7. Cheaters How well do you know your special someone? The Cheaters Detective Agency is here to find out. All the dirty little secrets are going to come out on the long-running hit reality series airing 24/7 on Pluto TV. FOX SOUL FOX SOUL is a live streaming service with authentic conversations about the totality of Black culture. The programs aim to entertain, educate, and inspire with conversations from the many diverse voices and people within the Black community. FOX Weather We’ve got you covered! Throughout all major hurricanes and severe weather events, no one keeps you prepared like FOX Weather - the perfect resource to keep you safe and secure from whatever Mother Nature throws your way. LiveNOW from FOX Raw & unfiltered. Watch a non-stop stream of breaking news, live events and stories across the nation. Limited commentary. No opinion. Experience LiveNOW from FOX. Makers Streaming 24/7 and on-demand, This Old House’s Makers Channel is the DIY movement, led by today’s best woodworkers, designers, engineers, farmers and metalworkers. Makers show you their coolest projects. Star Trek: The Motion Pictures The real final frontier was the cinema. For a limited time, watch all 13 theatrical STAR TREK movies for free, all on one channel. From the Original Series crew to the Next Generation to the Kelvin timeline, catch them all before they boldly go away.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND CHANNEL ARTWORK

MOVIES Star Trek (2009) Star Trek Beyond Star Trek Generations Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Star Trek Into Darkness Star Trek: The Motion Picture Aeon Flux All Eyez on Me All the President's Men All the Pretty Horses Arrival The Back-Up Plan Baywatch Black Hawk Down Boyz n the Hood Branded Changing Lanes Cliffhanger Clue Colombiana Cop Land The Core The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Dance Flick Days ff Thunder Dead Presidents Disturbia Domino Election Empire Records Equilibrium Evolution Failure to Launch Fifty Shades of Black The Fighter The Fighting Temptations Finding Forrester Foxcatcher Freddy Got Fingered Frida Gladiator Good Burger Grease Halloween H20: 20 Years Later Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers Halloween VIII: Resurrection Harlem Nights Heist (2015) Hellboy (2004) Hustle & Flow Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull   Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Star Trek V: The Final Frontier Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek: First Contact Star Trek: Insurrection Star Trek: Nemesis The Island John Wick John Wick 2 John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum Joy Ride Julie & Julia Last Vegas Layer Cake The Lincoln Lawyer Look Who's Talking Magnolia The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions The Mummy (2017) No Country for Old Men Point Break Pompeii Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Practical Magic Primal Fear Pulp Fiction The Ring The Ring Two Road Trip Rocketman Rudy Saturday Night Fever The School of Rock The Score Shaft Shall We Dance? (2004) She's the Man Shooter (2007) South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Stand By Me Stealth Stomp the Yard Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows The One (2001) Tombstone Tommy Boy Tootsie Top Gun Tropic Thunder The Untouchables Wayne's World World War Z Year One Zodiac

Channel launch dates are subject to change

57 Channels and Only This Is On: July 28, 2024

 

House of the Dragon:  Meh, another episode where no one died at the end.  Instead Seasmoke tried to hook up with a bastard even though supposedly supposed to be tied to a dragon until you die.  So is that just an old wives’ tale or is that guy whose name I forgot dead?  I am also getting tired of Daemon’s This Is Your Life every episode.  And really, after forking his mom, anything after that is going to be a letdown.

 

Snowpiercer:  I thought for sure when the bad guy pulled off his mask, was going to turn out to be Wilford.  I certainly was not expecting Phil Coulson.  I wonder if Coulson has run into Wilford at some point.  Though we are really going to need an explanation of where these dudes were hiding this whole time.  I guess there might be pockets, like that one scientist survive at her station before being rescued.

 

Orphan Black: Echoes:  I am confused after this episode how exactly they made a copy of an old chick that turned into a teenager.  Maybe I just do not care enough to pay attention.

 

The Ark: Why do I have a feeling about the talk about loyalist to the evil chick being everywhere will have repercussions later this season?

 

2024 Olympic Games:  I really liked the boats and the interspersing of the parade of athletes and the show.  Though I do not understand why there were so many non-French people who participated, especially those who carried the torch.  Feels like NBC said to the IOC, we pay the most for this, make sure you include some participants that the American audience knows.  It was also a bit disappointed that the Assassin’s Creed guy was never explained.