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 U2, Eric B and Rakim, Florence + the Machine,Cold War Kids, Noah Kahan, The Supremes, Leonard Bernstein, Public Image Ltd., Welshly Arms, Hulu, and Desus Nice and The Kid Mero.
- UMC/Island/Interscope announced three new vinyl reissues from U2. Remastered and pressed on 180gsm double LP black vinyl, Achtung Baby (1991), Zooropa (1993) and The Best of 1980-1990 (1998) will be released on July 27th. Achtung Baby (1991), Zooropa (1993) and The Best of 1980-1990 (1998) are available to pre order now here.
- Ever since they burst upon the scene in the late 1980s, Eric B & Rakim have been universally recognized as one of hip-hop's greatest creative units. Eric's distinctive soundscapes and Rakim's complex raps remain unequaled, and the duo's classic recordings remain a benchmark of the genre. Although the pair's albums have remained immensely influential, all have been out of print for some time, making the UMe release The Complete Collection 1987-1992 an especially timely package. Not only a mighty monument to Eric B & Rakim's larger-than-life catalog, this ten-disc vinyl/CD set is the first U.S. career expanding box set for a hip hop artist. The Complete Collection 1987-1992 incorporates two-LP vinyl editions of each of Eric B & Rakim's four original albums—1987's Paid In Full, 1988's Follow the Leader, 1990's Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em and 1992's Don't Sweat the Technique— plus two bonus CDs of vintage remixes, none of which have ever appeared on an album, and only a handful of which have previously been available digitally. All four LPs are housed in a ridged slipcase that also houses a 36-page book and the two bonus CDs. The bonus CDs include no less than 26 vintage remixes, including such influential classics as Coldcut's "Seven Minutes of Madness" mix of "Paid In Full," the "Six Minutes of Soul" reworking of "I Know You Got Soul," Marley Marl and M.C. Shan's mix of "My Melody," and "Friends," Eric B & Rakim's Top Ten 1989 collaboration with Jody Watley.
- Florence + the Machine unveil a new song, “Big God,” and video today—watch it, choreographed by Akram Khan and Florence and directed by Autumn de Wilde, HERE. “Big God” is the third track to be released from Florence + the Machine’s hugely anticipated fourth studio album High As Hope, out June 29 on Republic Records.
- Cold War Kids: Can We Hang On?: Late Night with Seth Myers:
- As he quietly becomes an international sensation with nearly 110 million cumulative streams to his name, Vermont singer and songwriter Noah Kahan returns with his new single, “Come Down,” today—listen here.
- On June 29, in anticipation of the upcoming 60th anniversary of Motown — a.k.a. Hitsville U.S.A. — and inspired by the album’s own recent 51st anniversary, Motown/UMe is releasing a 51-track, 2-CD Expanded Edition of The Supremes’ tenth studio effort, the chart-topping The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland. The collection magnifies the scope of a seminal album that made history, including 27 tracks that are heard here for the first time via a number of updated mixes and alternate versions, as well as electrifying live performances captured at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City in May 1967, the last recorded performance of the original trio: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard.
- In a dazzling musical career that spanned more than forty years, Leonard Bernstein distinguished himself as a conductor, pianist and educator, as well as a passionate musical communicator. But it was his work as a composer that made the most enduring impression upon the public. Bernstein's timeless compositions have become deeply ingrained in the American soundtrack, encompassing the Broadway stage, the pop scene and the jazz world. Now, just in time for the 100th anniversary of his birth on August 25, some of his greatest works have been assembled for Jazz Loves Bernstein, available June 29 via Verve/UMe. The two-CD/digital collection spans the musical and emotional breadth of the Bernstein songbook, with interpretations of the maestro's classic tunes spanning more than half a century, performed by some of the era's finest jazz singers and musicians.
Starting today, Bobby’s Scott rare 1959 recording of “Ya Got Me” is available for streaming and for immediate download with digital album pre-order. Pre-order Jazz Loves Bernstein now.
- n celebration of Public Image Ltd.’s (PiL) 40th Anniversary, Abramorama and Verisimilitude have released the first official trailer and poster of the new music documentary The Public Image Is Rotten. The career-spanning documentary, tells the story of music icon John Lydon and his pioneering group PiL with a level of depth and intimacy never before seen. Following a sold-out screening at Camden London’s Odeon Cinema, the film will be released in multiple theaters across the United Kingdom and select European cities throughout the summer, followed by a North American theatrical tour in the fall kicking off at New York City’s downtown Metrograph on September 14. Watch the trailer for the film The Public Image Is Rotten HERE.
- Cleveland-based, blues and gospel-influenced Alternative band Welshly Arms debuts the video for their single, “Sanctuary,” today—watch and share here. The video exclusively premieres on Billboard, who hails the song as an “earnest, dramatically arranged track.” It was directed by Los Angeles-based director Dan Henry and shot in the desert near Acton, CA.
- Hulu announced a deal to acquire whistleblower doc Crime + Punishment as a Hulu documentary. After debuting at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, CRIME + PUNISHMENT went on to win the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking, and has garnered numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Independent Film Festival in Boston. Stephen Maing directed, produced and filmed, and Academy Award Winner Laura Poitras serves as an executive producer. The premium streaming service will partner with IFC Films to release the documentary simultaneously in theaters and on Hulu on August 24th.
- Showtime has ordered a weekly half-hour late-night series starring Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, scheduled for premiere in 2019. The first ever weekly late-night talk show on Showtime will feature popular TV and podcast personalities Desus and Mero, speaking highly off the cuff and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics and more. The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc.