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.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: July 19, 2020

Snowpiercer: I had a theory that there was a second train out there with Mr. Wilford that is actually the train we saw in the movie, I just never thought we would see it, at least not this soon. Especially considering Jennifer Connelly just admitted to killing him. Not her first lie I guess. So are there other tracks? I guess that would be smart in case something happens and you can just switch over. But this show has taken some major liberties with just how physics work, but the train boarding the other train may be the most absurd of them all.
You can download Snowpiercer on iTunes.

The Chi: Make Chicago great again… oh my. I guess it could be worse, Kanye could be running to the mayor of his hometown. I may have to vote none of the above if I were I were in Chicago.

Black Monday: Is Mo really going to give himself up to save everyone else? I think he has another plan working that will probably take out the other Lehman brother. Hopefully it is a better plan than Blair’s claiming he cured of homosexuality.

Stargirl: That was the weakest episode since they stopped spending so much time on on Stargirl herself. But I do have a new theory that the janitor is one of the Seven Soldiers of Victory that happens to have eight members. Unfortunately an upcoming episode title seemingly confirms this.

The Challenge: Total Madness: What an apropos way to end a disappointing season that was bogged down by the Dee mess by having Johnny win for the first time since he screwed over Sarah. On the bright spot, it will likely be a very long time until we see another season. Granted, the Challenges house have probably passed around worse diseases than the Coronavirus.
You can download The Challenge: Total Madness on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: How did they make anew Coulsen so fast? Did they have a spare? And what happened to the Max Headroom version? And what does it mean to the future that the one guy who should have been sacrificed to HIVE keeps royally forking up history? Does Daisy even get born if her mother is not at that commune?
You can download Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: Wait, if the original primary is black, why does the body look like Jane instead? And why does she still look like Jane now that the original primary has taken back control? And why did the Chief leave Robotman in space?

Around the Tubes: July 18, 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 Into the Dark, The Go-Go's, James Bay, Sara Bareilles, Paul McCartney, Shannon LaBrie, Benee, somegirlnamedanna, Shaylen, The Soundflowers, Command Sisters, and Unfit.

- Navigate the mysterious world of Into the Dark: The Current Occupant by visiting Hulu's Twitter page and choosing your own adventure! Try to escape the psych ward and return to power through a series of mind-bending scenarios, or be doomed to wander the ward forever!  INTO THE DARK: THE CURRENT OCCUPANT is Now Streaming on Hulu!

- Showtime announced the premiere date for Director Alison Ellwood’s documentary feature THE GO-GO’S has shifted. THE GO-GO’S will now premiere on Friday, July 31 at 9pm ET/PT, with an encore replay on Saturday, August 1 at 7:20pm ET/PT.  Director Alison Ellwood’s documentary feature, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year, chronicles the first all-female band to play its own instruments, write its own songs and soar to No. 1 on the album charts. The Go-Go’s made history. Featuring candid testimonies, Ellwood’s film charts the meteoric rise to fame of a band born of the L.A. punk scene that not only captured but created a zeitgeist.

- Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist James Bay interviews and gives his debut performance of “Chew On My Heart” on The Today Show. During the appearance James Bay spoke about the meaning behind “Chew On My Heart,” and what he’s been doing during quarantine with Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer. Watch the interview and performance HERE.

- Grammy® Award-winner and Tony® and Emmy® Award-nominated singer, songwriter, actress, and author Sara Bareilles unveils the Little Voice: Season One, Episodes 1-3 (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack).  Released via Loud Robot - an independent music label out of J.J. Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot – and Epic Records, the five-track set features music from the first three episodes of the new Apple original series, Little Voice, debuting globally on Apple TV+ today.  Not only did Sara notably write and record new songs for the series, but she also serves as an executive producer alongside J.J. Abrams and Jessie Nelson.  Get it HERE.

- Paul McCartney today releases the ‘Beautiful Night’ EP as part of the forthcoming re-release of his acclaimed 1997 album, ‘Flaming Pie’. Due for release on July 31st, ‘Flaming Pie’ marks the thirteenth installment in Paul’s GRAMMY Award-winning Archive Collection. Listen HERE.  The EP recreates the original 1997 ‘Beautiful Night’ maxi-single, featuring the remastered Flaming Pie single, ‘Beautiful Night’, a 1995 demo of the song, an alternate ‘Run Through’ recording, and ‘Oobu Joobu Part 5’ - a medley of Beautiful Night-themed chat, alternate mixes and interview recordings of Paul and Ringo Starr speaking about the song.  A newly remastered music video for Beautiful Night, originally filmed in 1997, is also released today. Watch HERE.

- Soulful songstress Shannon LaBrie, is set to release a new LP, titled Building, on Aug. 14. Listeners got a first taste of the album with her current single “Firewalker,” a heroic anthem that continues to gain traction. NPR described the anthem as, “a spirited statement to keep soldiering on” while American Songwriter calls it, “a ray of light that can guide you through each day.” Produced by multi-Grammy Award-winners, Brent Maher and Charles Yingling, Building will be available on all digital retailers.  The forthcoming LP is now available for digital pre-save HERE and physical pre-order HERE.

- New Zealand’s sensation BENEE shares her new single, “Night Garden” feat. Kenny Beats & Bakar, out today—listen HERE and watch the lyric video HERE!  For the track, the songstress recruited tastemaker-approved and Elton John-and Virgil Abloh-endorsed London artist Bakar and influential hip-hop producer and beatsmith Kenny Beats [Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs, Denzel Curry, Rico Nasty]. Together, these three disruptors cook up an entrancing and engaging anthem. Unmistakable and unpredictable production from Beats twists through airy guitar as BENEE hums the haunting hook, “In the night garden, things are out there creeping.” Meanwhile, Bakar turns up with a clever and catchy cameo of his own. The track unites three diverse and dynamic talents from three cultures on one broodingly bold bop unlike anything else any of them have done.   

- Emerging as one of the year’s most buzzed-about breaking artists, somegirlnamedanna shares a new single and music video entitled “california” today. Listen HERE via LAVA/Republic Records. Watch official music video HERE.  Most importantly, it heralds the arrival of her debut twenty one, twenty two EP to be released July 31.  On “california,” somegirlnamedanna opens up to say, "Distance and love combined is such a difficult thing.  "california” is about being separated by thousands of miles, and wanting to be with someone, but it just isn't even close to reality.  I wrote this from a place of hope, almost a dream state wanting something that doesn't feel realistic.” 

-  Shaylen drops a brand new single entitled “Forgive Myself” via The Heavy Group/Republic Records.  Listen to “Forgive Myself” HERE.  “Forgive Myself” is about learning one of the hardest lessons in life…self-forgiveness. Written and produced during self-isolation, the song shows the brutally honest pen-game that has become the hallmark of Shaylen’s reputation. “Forgive Myself” was executive produced and co-written by Jackson Foote from the much beloved electro pop group Loote and produced by Boston from Rice N’ Peas (Bazzi, Kiana Ledé, Anne Marie).

- The Soundflowers, featuring Paris Jackson and Gabriel Glenn, debuts the official video for “Your Look (Glorious)”—watch HERE! The full-length video was executive produced and shot by Prince Jackson via his production house King’s Son Productions.

- The powerhouse duo Command Sisters, comprised of Charlotte [vocals, keys] and Sarah Command [guitar, vocals], release the music video for their single “I Like It” via 21 Entertainment/Republic Records/Universal Music Canada.  WATCH THE “I LIKE IT” VIDEO HERE!   Filmed before social distancing measures were in effect, the video plays off the sisters’ unique aesthetic, focusing in on the color red with a mind-bending visual capture of their distinct sound, style and talent. “I Like It” was recorded in Los Angeles by award winning producer Tim Pagnotta (Walk The Moon, Weezer, Blink 182, Neon Trees).

- Is Donald Trump fit to hold the office of President of the United States? Unfit is an eye-opening analysis of Trump by leading U.S. mental health professionals and nonpartisan political strategists – on the record for the record, out of a Duty to Warn.  Featuring the shocking, first, on-camera interview with George Conway that will roil the West Wing of the White House.  WATCH THE TRAILER NOW

Into the Dark: The Currant Occupant

Well, I guess this month’s installment is better late than never coming two weeks after Independence Day. Although given the nature of the subject of someone who may or may not be president waking up in the psychiatric ward with a bout of amnesia, it is still pretty relevant as we still have four months left in a campaign with two dudes in their seventies with cognitive decline. Oh real life, the scariest story of them all.

The Current Occupant stars Barry Watson, coming off playing Rupurt Murdock’s son in The Loudest Voice, is the guy who comes to believe he may be the titular character of the White house. It sort of has a similar feel as last year’s July installment where you are left guessing what is real and what is not, and who is telling the truth and who is not. Can the doctors and nurses be trusted or are the patients more trustworthy. But unlike Culture Shock, there is no alternative reality, this is all darkness with someone sinking into insanity.

The Current Occupant has some political bona fides as it is written by Alston Ramsay who previously worked as a speechwriter in D.C. for the likes of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, General David Petraeus, and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. This episode does not really add anything new to the is this guy really crazy or not sub-genre of horror, but it still is well executed. Then considering the source, you will be left wondering just how much could be true.

Into the Dark: The Current Occupant premieres tomorrow on Hulu.

Into the Dark Season Two Power Ranking:

1. Uncanny Annie (October)
2. A Nasty Piece of Work (December)
3. Pooka Lives! (April)
4. The Current Occupant (July)
5. Good Boy (June)
6. Delivered (May)
7. Crawlers (March)
8. Pilgrim (November)
9. My Valentine (February)

57 Channels and Only This Is On: July 12, 2020

Snowpiercer: Well we finally learned what happened to Mr. Wilford and, oh my, did not see that coming. I do kind of want to see a flashback for confirmation that Jennifer Connelly kicked him off the train to die. But the people that want to kill her for that are pretty short sited if she was the one that built it and has the best chance to keep it going. Somehow I feel Layton will actually be the one to save her.
You can download Snowpiercer on iTunes.

The Chi: Wait, what does that white guy have to do with anything? We saw Keisha at the bus stop, made eye contact with Ronnie, when the bus went away, she was gone. Could that have been the bus driver? Is the bus driver kidnapping women alone on his bus? But don’t most buses have cameras? Seems like it would be hard to pull off.

Black Monday: Oh snap, the gay dude just killed himself for being outed as a homosexual. Granted this was the eighties back before we just kind of assume the most ardent Conservatives are secret homosexuals. Well that will put a wrinkle in Blair’s legislation he wants passed.

Stargirl: Yeah, that was a dumb mission to go on, especially going down into the lair. At least Dr. Midnite was smart enough to turn around when the goggles stopped working.

The Challenge: Total Madness: Oh wow, they let Dee say more than five words this week. Of course she then promptly gets the boot. Her getting edited out really hurt the last couple episode narratively. #ReleaseTheDeeCut
You can download The Challenge: Total Madness on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Okay, Deke misremembering the lyrics of his “originals” was pretty funny. I did not expect Coulson to show up as Max Headroom thought, thought they would just make a backup LMD. Though this trek to the eighties were fun, what exactly happened to the rest of the crew and how did they hook back p with Deke and Mac.
You can download Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: This show really drags when they is not a weird back guy to fight or at least team up with. But we did get the shocking ending of Dorothy ordering a hit on Baby Doll. Killing a personally just is not on the par of killing an imaginary friend.

In the Dark: Oh wow, Dean actually killed himself, I thought they would continue to find a way to keep him around kind of like this season when he really should have gone to prison after admitting to killing a kid. Then the blind chick’s other other boyfriend found out she was trafficking drugs. So what exactly is next season? Is she just going to go on the run? Seems kind of hard for a blind chick.
You can download In The Dark on iTunes.

The Bold Type: Called it at the end of last season, Kat totally Lady boned they conservative chick. I feel like I deserve a cookie.

Blindspot: Oh wow, they caught Madeline with two episodes to spare. But there were still the Zip things which Jane got caught in a room with. Although, if Weller was able to get to the door, hoe was Jane not able to slip out? Are they really going to reset her memory yet again? And why were the evil people setting it off while they were in the vicinity? Would they not worry about losing their memory?
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: July 11, 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’s British Binge-cation, Pen15, Woke, HAHA Awards (Hilarious Animated Hulu Awards, Kid Cudi and Eminem, James Blake, James Bay, Bow Anderson, Freeman Young, Kiana Ledé, April / 月音, Nelly, We Are The Radical Monarchs, Martin Scorsese, and Ramy.

- Need to get away? Pack up the remote and your finest pair of sweats. It’s time to take a trip on Hulu’s British Binge-cation; a week-long event on the telly, where we’ll premiere five new, and uniquely British shows. Now that’s bloody brilliant.  Jamie: Keep Cooking and Carry On: Complete First Season (Fremantle, 20 Eps.)  Jamie Oliver shares easy-to-follow recipes, ingredient swaps and tips to inspire people staying at home.  Maxxx: Complete First Season (All3Media, 6 Eps.)  Written, co-directed, executive produced and starring O-T Fagbenle (Black Widow, The Handmaid’s Tale), Maxxx centers around a formerly famous boyband star who tries to make his music comeback and prove to the world that he isn’t a washed-up, old has-been. To get his career back on track Maxxx tries to convince his former manager Don Wild, played by Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU, The Handmaid’s Tale) to take him back but he has other ideas and recruits the help of wannabe manager Tamzin, played by Pippa Bennett-Warner (Harlots).  Ladhood: Complete First Season (BBC, 6 Eps.)  A coming-of-age comedy from BAFTA-nominated comedian Liam Williams (Back to Life), exploring the roots of modern-day masculinity by delving into the memories of his own misspent adolescence.  In My Skin: Complete First Season (BBC, 5 Eps.)  Coming-of-age story about 16-year-old Bethan, who deals with the comical but painfully real anxieties and insecurities of teenage life, along with the stark reality of a home life that is far removed from what she projects to her friends. Directed by Lucy Forbes (The End of the F***ing World) and written by Kayleigh Llewellyn. The pilot episode of In My Skin won two BAFTA Cymru awards for Best Drama and Best Actress.  Brassic: Complete First Season (ITV, 6 Eps.)  Following the exploits of Vinnie (Joseph Gilgun, Preacher), a Lancashire lad with bipolar disorder, and Dylan, his razor-smart best mate. Inseparable and utterly co-dependant, these boys have hardly spent a day apart since birth. Also starring Michelle Keegan (Coronation Street), Damien Molony (GameFace) and Dominic West (The Wire, The Affair).  Brassic was co-created by Gilgun and Daniel Brocklehurst (Shameless, The Stranger, Safe).

- School is back in session! Join your favorite BFFs as Pen15 returns with seven new episodes on Friday, September 18^th.  Please note, Season Two consists of 14 episodes. The first seven will premiere on Sept. 18 and the remaining will stream in 2021.

- All 8 episodes of new comedy series Woke set to premiere on September 9^th, only on Hulu.  Inspired by the life and work of artist Keith Knight, comedy series Woke takes an absurdly irreverent look at identity and culture as it follows Keef (played by Lamorne Morris), an African-American cartoonist finally on the verge of mainstream success when an unexpected incident changes everything. With a fresh outlook on the world around him, Keef must now navigate the new voices and ideas that confront and challenge him, all without setting aflame everything he’s already built. The series stars Morris, T. Murph and Blake Anderson.

- It should come as no surprise to any streaming TV viewer that adult animation reigns supreme. In fact, nearly 40% of Hulu viewers faithfully devour adult cartoons every month. Die-hard fans of the popular genre have waited long enough to weigh in on their favorites!  Beginning today, Hulu is celebrating the animation lover in all of us by hosting the HAHA Awards (Hilarious Animated Hulu Awards) - the first ever all-animated awards honoring the year’s best in adult animated TV shows and iconic characters now streaming on Hulu. The ten categories recognize sophisticated pets, epic battles, the best hangover performance and more. Because sometimes a happy hour escape to Springfield’s Moe’s Tavern or The Drunken Clam is exactly what you need.  Hulu subscribers and non-subscribers can cast votes for their favorites in all categories on the official awards website or via social poll on Hulu’s Twitter channel through Sunday, July 19. The complete list of the 2020 HAHA Award nominees is listed below. All winners will be announced on Thursday, July 23.

- Ready to reach uncharted territory yet again, Kid Cudi and Eminem have released a blockbuster new single entitled “The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady”. This marks the very first collaboration between these two icons. Produced by Dot Da Genius, J Gramm, and Eminem, the song serves up a masterclass in gravity-defying bars.  Get “The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady” HERE.

- GRAMMY® Award-winning UK singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer James Blake releases a new track entitled “Are You Even Real?”  Get it HERE via Republic Records.  The track was co-written by Starrah, Ali Tamposi and Blake. Notably, the song is a part of Apple’s global “Behind The Mac” campaign. Check it out HERE.

- Returning with his first original music of 2020, three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and BRIT Award-winning multiplatinum singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist James Bay is back with a brand new single entitled “Chew On My Heart.”  Listen to “Chew On My Heart” Here!

- Vevo announces the release of Bow Anderson’s DSCVR at Home performances of “Sweater” and “Heavy.” 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, dodie and Kiana Ledé. 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.  Bold, frank and refreshing, few brand new artists announce their arrival to the pop arena quite like Bow Anderson. In the fabric of “Sweater,” you’ll unpick the threads that have inspired the 23-year-old’s life: the passion and bombast of 60’s soul, strong female role models and the beats and attitude of modern hip-hop. The release of “Sweater” is followed by Bow’s new single, “Heavy.”  “Sweater” and “Heavy” are now streaming on all platforms. Keep up with exclusive content from artists all over the world on YouTube.com/Vevo.

- Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Freeman Young reveals his new single, “No Nevermind,” out today—listen HERE!  Over smooth guitar, Freeman sings intimate verses with palpable emotion on “No Nevermind.” The song builds towards the hypnotic chorus, “I can’t get out of my head.” Ultimately, “No Nevermind” fuses alternative ambition, indie vulnerability and soul spirit as it encourages a deep look inward without judgement.

- Platinum-selling Phoenix-born and Los Angeles-based artist Kiana Ledé releases her new video for “Crazy” today.  Watch “Crazy”: HERE  In the intimate video, Kiana is under a shower spout emoting every lyric with palpable passion, poise and power. As her voice transfixes, the visual does the same when it reaches its fiery finale.

- Emmy The Great has announced news of her new solo album April / 月音 that will be released on October 9th via Bella Union. She has also shared first single “Dandelions/Liminal”, a song about being OK with uncertainty and learning to co-exist with your own sorrow and the sorrows of the world. Listen to it HERE.

- 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.

- Set in Oakland, a city with a deep history of social justice movements, We Are The Radical Monarchs follows the two trailblazing, queer women of color who created The Radical Monarchs, a more diverse and inclusive alternative to the scout movement.  Directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton, We Are The Radical Monarchs has its national broadcast debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, July 20 at 9 p.m. (check local listings). POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series now in its 33rd season.

- SHOWTIME Documentary Films today announced a new feature documentary from Academy Award^® Winning director Martin Scorsese that profiles David Johansen, the celebrated frontman of the New York Dolls. Emmy^® nominee David Tedeschi will co-direct with Scorsese, and Scorsese and Sikelia Productions will executive produce with Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Imagine Documentaries. The announcement was made by Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “I’ve known David Johansen for decades, and his music has been a touchstone ever since I listened to the Dolls when I was making Mean Streets,” said Scorsese. “Then and now, David’s music captures the energy and excitement of New York City. I often see him perform, and over the years I’ve gotten to know the depth of his musical inspirations. After seeing his show last year at the Café Carlyle, I knew I had to film it because it was so extraordinary to see the evolution of his life and his musical talent in such an intimate setting. For me, the show captured the true emotional potential of a live musical experience.”

- Hulu has renewed A24's Ramy, from Golden Globe-winner Ramy Youssef, for a 10-episode, third season. The second season debuted on Hulu on Friday, May 29.  The series follows first-generation, Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan (Youssef) who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. Ramy brings a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it’s like to be caught between a religious community who believes life is a moral test, and a millennial generation that doubts an afterlife even exists. In the second season, Ramy delves further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Muslim community and embracing a deeper commitment to his faith. 

57 Channels and This Is On: July 5, 2020

Snowpiercer: Oh snap, they killed off that grungy chick. Did not see that coming. But is that room just dead now? But I guess if Jennifer Connelly can fix the train while under it by wearing that hazmat thing, I guess they could just go in and repair the then thaw it
You can download Snowpiercer on iTunes.

The Chi: So Emmitt just had to whip it out to get into the illegal kitchen? Yeah, that is not going to end well. I feel like there will be another baby mama in his future. And I kind of missed what the girlfriend meant by her people? Did she used to be a dude? Is she bi-sexual?

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels: another shocking death this week with the religious chick taking her own life. Though isn’t suicide the worst sins to the Catholics? Maybe Santa Muerta will save her soul. Maybe she will become a diety to fight Maergery Tyrell next season. Would be interesting because it seems like Maergery was able to recruit her boyfriend.

Black Monday: …and we are back. And everyone has their own weird agenda, so who will prevail. Well I am sure they will all find a way to work together to take down the people blackmailing them. Until them, Keith as a plant was pretty funny.

Stargirl: Oh my, the mean girl is really a mean girl. Pretty good allegory there. To think Stargirl almost melted that façade before reneging on their date. Had to Google who her father is, turns in he used to hang with Hitler so he is very evil. Though I still have no clue who the janitor is. I thought it was Dr. Fate but do not remember him having a massive sword like the janitor brandished this week.

The Challenge: Total Madness: I think we got even less Dee than before. Maybe one shot and no dialogue. Unfortunately my dreams of someone getting cut because they did not have a Red Skull were dashed this week. Really disappointed that no one tried to throw someone in that did not have a Red Skull already except Dee once and early on with Jay when people were scared to go in. But it looks like we will be getting at least another elimination next week which might be a decant consolation prize. Be interesting who gets thrown in. Might as well put in the two biggest threats. But everyone has played a weak game this time so probably not.
You can download The Challenge: Total Madness on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: So Coulson died… again. Do they have back up LMD on the ship or is he going to be brought back as a different character. Or I guess they could the team could run into a younger, not dead yet version.
You can download Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Doom Patrol: The first three episode were a bit of a drag as Dorothy really messed up the dynamic and everyone on the team were all downers and then split up in the second episode. Still not entirely sure why Cyborg went to Detroit. Or why he even came back. But things kicked back into high gear with the return of Flex Mantallo and his, um, most curious flexing ability. Which then brought in a new group that may be weirder than him, the Sex Men. A group that can best be described as Ghostbusters, but for sex. This show is so awesome when it gets super weird.

In the Dark: So the cops chasing evil lesbian were not at all curious as to why she was trying to keep that storage locker open? And just what is Harry Crane’s plan? He cannot get money from Nina. The last guy who tried to extort the group ended up dead. Not sure what he can do with it as leverage unless he want to try selling the stash himself.
You can download In The Dark on iTunes.

The Bold Type: Called, evil conservative chick is a lesbian. Now the only question until she starts lady boning Kat.

Blindspot: Oh yeah, the guy from the end last week was Tasha’s CIA partner, granted he is dead now. And so is Paterson? Weird they spent so much time talking this episode how smart she was only for her to run into a room that was about to burn everything inside. But they also spent some time talking about these escape routes and hidden panic room places so me thinks there was one in that room and she just wants the evil people to think she is dead.
You can download Blindspot on iTunes.

Around the Tubes: July 3, 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 Avett Brothers, The Great, Outcry, Bob Marley, The Go-Go's, Benee, PJ Harvey, Liela Moss, and Carl Reiner. 

- The Avett Brothers release the official music video for their song “We Americans.” The song was part of their most recent album Closer Than Together released on October 4, 2019.  Check out “We Americans” music video here!  The lyrics of the song touch on many moments in America’s history. See lyrics here.  The paintings that create the imagery for the video were done by Jason Mitcham. The band previously worked with Mitcham for their 2015 video for “Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full of Promise.”    The band announced Closer Than Together back in June 2019 with a mission statement for the album. Read here.

- Hulu has renewed The Great, from Tony McNamara (THE FAVOURITE), for a 10-episode, second season. The first season debuted on Hulu on Friday, May 15.  The Great is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia's history. With only occasional historical facts, the series stars Elle Fanning as Catherine, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Sebastian de Souza, Bayo Gbadamosi and Belinda Bromilow.  The Great is created, written and executive-produced by Oscar-nominated writer Tony McNamara and executive-produced by Marian Macgowan, Thruline’s Josh Kesselman and Ron West, Echo Lake’s Brittany Kahan Ward, Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding, Elle Fanning,  Mark Winemaker and Matt Shakman.  The first season of The Great was one of the top performing original comedies on Hulu in 2020 and continues to grow Hulu’s highly successful slate of female-driven comedies, including Dollface, Shrill and the upcoming Love, Beth (working title) starring Amy Schumer. 

- SHOWTIME will release the premiere episode of its new docu-series OUTCRY for free online sampling, on streaming platforms and on demand beginning at midnight on Sunday, July 5. The five-part investigative documentary series, directed and produced by Emmy^® Award-winning filmmaker Pat Kondelis, examines the gripping story of high school football star Greg Kelley’s controversial conviction for child molestation and the quest for truth and justice that followed in the wake of his sentencing. The first installment will be available on YouTube, as well as across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels.  OUTCRY will officially premiere on SHOWTIME on Sunday, July 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes will debut every Sunday through August 2, while the entire series will release for on-demand streaming or download on the SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME ANYTIME^® apps and partner on-demand platforms July 5.

-  In observance of the late and legendary Bob Marley's 75^th Birthday,  and in honor of the July 1 International Reggae Day celebrations, an official music video for Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry," premiered today. Directed by Kristian Mercado Figueroa and shot in Jamaica and New York City, the powerful visual explores two tales of a family divided by country but connected by their love and want for a better life for their children. We see a strong and loving Mother strive to look after her children in their homeland. At the same time, the Father works tirelessly, isolated in New York City, working as a taxi driver to better provide for his family back home. The video shines a light on the importance of family and connection while confronting the genuine struggles many families face in the modern world, often forced apart due to poverty. The video for "No Woman No Cry" debuted on Bob Marley's Official YouTube Channel. Watch HERE.  For more information on children and women-focused programs and resources, please visit:

In A Perfect World

Studio Samuel

- SHOWTIME has released the trailer for the upcoming feature-length documentary THE GO-GO’S, hailing from director Alison Ellwood (HISTORY OF THE EAGLES, American Jihad). An official 2020 Sundance Film Festival Selection, the film chronicles the first all-female band to play its own instruments, write its own songs and soar to No. 1 on the album charts. Featuring candid testimonies from the group members, Ellwood’s documentary charts the meteoric rise to fame of a band that not only captured but created a zeitgeist. THE GO-GO’S premieres on SHOWTIME on Saturday, August 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

- 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 August 1st 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.

- BENEE performs her worldwide smash “Supalonely” with Gus Dapperton on The Ellen DeGeneres Show—watch the performance HERE!  “Supalonely” feat. Gus Dapperton has amassed over 980 million streams to date and 4 million in global consumption. The song is now Gold Certified in the U.S. It peaked in the Top 10 on Spotify’s Global Top 50 Chart, as BENEE currently sits as “The 86^th Most Listened To Artist In The World” on the platform. “Supalonely” continues to climb the U.S. Top 40 Radio Chart, currently charting at #13. Within a short time, BENEE has gone from canvasing Soundcloud with covers out of her teenage bedroom to rising on the charts and amassing over 1.3 billion streams across her catalogue.

- The vinyl reissue of PJ Harvey’s entire back catalogue continues this summer with RID OF ME and 4-TRACK DEMOS out August 21 on UMe / Island.  Just a year after the acclaimed release of debut album DRY (1992), Harvey returned with her second studio album RID OF ME in May 1993. Produced by Steve Albini it featured the singles “50ft Queenie” and “Man-Size.” RID OF ME charted at No. 3 in the U.K.  4-TRACK DEMOS – released in October of the same year – is a collection of demos written and recorded at Harvey’s home throughout 1991 and 1992.  Self-produced, it presents the songs in a simple first incarnation on a record of “depth, range and conceptual completeness” (Rolling Stone).  Taken together, these two releases made for an astonishing major label debut on Island Records in 1993, a body of work which has lost none of its urgent potency. This period also firmly established Harvey’s creative relationship with photographer and director Maria Mochnacz who shot the artwork for both records and also directed the videos for “50ft Queenie” and “Man-Size.”  Watch fully restored video for “50ft Queenie” Here.

- Having last month announced news of her new solo album, Who The Power, that will be released on August 7th via Bella Union, and sharing the video to first single "Atoms At Me", today Liela Moss has shared another new track “Watching The Wolf” and its lyric video. Watch and listen HERE.  Of the track Moss says: “An imagined rebellion created by packs of wolves, who mete out justice when they lure a power-hungry narcissistic wannabe politician to his demise. A modern day folk tale whose villain is a fraud. Useless in the face of an emergency (“now comes the hour, when you're not gonna know what to do”) and utterly inane, he has no idea he is despised by so many, including the animal kingdom.”

- The MeTV Network will celebrate legendary writer, director and actor Carl Reiner with a special, month-long presentation of his favorite episodes of 15-time Emmy award-winning sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. The tribute begins this Sunday, July 5 at 10p & 10:30p ET/PT and will air every Sunday night through July 26 on MeTV.  Born in the Bronx borough of New York, Carl Reiner appeared in several Broadway musicals including “Inside U.S.A.” and “Call Me Mister” before he was cast in the variety show “Your Show of Shows” in 1950. Throughout the series’ four-year run, Reiner honed his writing chops alongside fellow comedy writers Mel Brooks and Neil Simon, and went on to write for the variety TV series “Caesar’s Hour” and “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show.”