Alternative Music
Stars of 1968 Romeo and Juliet Sue for Child Abuse over Nudity
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who as teenagers brought Shakespeare to life in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, are suing Paramount for child abuse over the movie’s nudity. As Variety reports, they are seeking damages “believed to be in excess of $500 million.” Whiting was 16 when he appeared in the movie, and Hussey began at 15 but turned 16 during production. For the famous, “It was the nightingale, and not the lark,” scene, Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, filmed Whiting’s butt and Hussey’s bare breasts. Now in their 70s, the actors allege that they had been assured there would be no nudity, only to be pressured the day of the shoot to expose themselves “or the Picture would fail.” “What they were told and what went on were two different things,”...
De La Soul’s Catalog Coming to Streaming Services For the First Time
De La Soul’s entire catalog will be available on all streaming platforms and digital retailers for the first time beginning March 3rd, 2023. Due to sample clearance issues and label disputes with Warner Bros. Records and Tommy Boy Records, none of De La Soul’s music before 2004 had ever made it to streaming services. In February 2019, Tommy Boy acquired the group’s master recordings from Warner, but plans to bring their first six albums to streaming services were scrapped when De La Soul pushed back on the move and revealed they would only be receiving 10% of the profits. Subsequent negotiations with Tommy Boy broke down, and no further progress was made until music rights company Reservoir acquired the label for $100 million in June 2021. Advertisement Related Video At the time, a re...
Billy Idol to Receive First Hollywood Walk of Fame Star of 2023
Billy Idol will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week, making him the first honoree of 2023. The ceremony was originally set to take place this Thursday (January 5th), but heavy rain in the forecast has led to it being rescheduled for Friday (January 6th). “There will be lots of rebels yelling for their favorite rock star Billy Idol when he receives his well-deserved Walk of Fame star,” stated Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Since the beginning of his career Billy Idol has held the hearts of many of his fans who finally will be able to visit his star and witness his induction into the Walk of Fame.” The music icon has certainly had a legendary career, first as lead singer of the UK punk band Generation X in the late ’70s and then as a multi-platinum ...
The Smile’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert Is the Prettiest Set You’ve Heard All Year: Watch
The Smile found themselves, both literally and figuratively, playing a gorgeous Tiny Desk Concert for NPR. According to producer Bob Boilen, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner “arrived early, along with saxophonist Robert Stillman, to test out several tunes and figure out just what made sense behind my desk — minus the volume and effects that shape the album’s sonic landscape. For roughly 90 minutes, the Tiny Desk crew was treated to a casual rehearsal, witnessing the band’s creative companionship work itself out, settling on four songs.” Not all made the final broadcast, with one of the songs falling victim to the band’s relentless perfectionism. “For keen eyes, you’ll see Thom Yorke being handed a guitar for the second tune but all of a sudden he’s playing bass while ...
Iggy Pop Was Once Approached About Fronting AC/DC
Iggy Pop has revealed that he was once approached about becoming the frontman of AC/DC. “They had a manager many years ago, when I hadn’t re-formed The Stooges, I hadn’t moved to England,” Iggy told the New York Times. “And this guy said, ‘Are you interested in joining AC/DC?’ They were looking for a singer.” Though it’s not clear exactly when he was asked to join the band, the timeline likely puts the encounter around the time AC/DC formed in 1973 or perhaps when original frontman Dave Evans departed and when Bon Scott took over as lead singer — sometime around 1974. Related Video “I listened to their record. I thought, I can’t fit that bill,” Iggy admitted. “I wasn’t, like, ‘Ugh, I don’t like them.’ It was quite well made. They do careful work, but I’m not what they needed.” Advertisemen...
Fall Out Boy Tease Comeback: “We Spent the Last Year Jamming Ideas in a Tiny Room”
Following in the footsteps of My Chemical Romance and Blink-182, Fall Out Boy have teased their imminent comeback. In a note sent to their email list, the band revealed they have been in the studio “jamming ideas in a tiny room.” Titled “A Homeboy’s Life,” the note features several paragraphs of existential rambling before getting to the point. “We spent the last year jamming ideas in a tiny room [and] can’t wait to share them with you,” it reads. “Thanks for always sticking around. Thanks for working the beat. Spoiler alert: we got more than a gold watch coming for you next year.” See the full note below. The announcement comes one week after the pop punk group appeared to tease new music with an animated video called “A Claymation Fall Out Boy Celebration,” which you can watch below. In ...
James Corden Says He Almost Played Brendan Fraser’s Part in The Whale
If there’s one good thing to have come out of Darren Aronofsky’s polarizing latest film The Whale, it’s the arguably overdue renaissance of leading man Brendan Fraser — but what if one of the most annoying men in showbiz had worn the fat suit instead? James Corden recently revealed that he nearly starred in the A24 movie, with fashion mogul-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford originally planning to direct. Deadline’s Pete Hammond brought up The Whale while attending a recent Q&A surrounding Corden’s new Amazon series Mammals: “I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct,” the Late Late Show host said, adding that he thought he might be too young to do the character justice. According to Corden, Ford ended up leaving the film because he wanted complete control o...
Chris Ledesma, The Simpsons’ Longtime Music Editor, Dead at 64
Chris Ledesma, who served as music editor on The Simpsons for 33 seasons, has died at the age of 64. Ledesma had worked on the animated sitcom since its series premiere in 1989 up until his departure in 2022 due to health issues. All told, Ledesma contributed to 735 episodes of The Simpsons as well as to multiple shorts and other specials. He documented much of his work on a blog called Simpsons Music 500. In a 2013 video profile from SAE Institute USA, Ledesma explained his role on The Simpsons. Primary working in conjunction with longtime composer Alf Clausen, Ledesma said, “We sit down and plot out where all the music is going to go in every scene, and what the music’s motivation is. The composer dreams up the music, and I’m the technical guy who makes sure it fits in the picture ...
Bad Bunny Chucks “Disrespectful” Fan’s Phone Into Water
Bad Bunny is defending himself against a “disrespectful” fan whose cell phone he threw into a body of water. A video capturing the incident went viral on Monday, amassing two million views. “The person who comes up to me to say hello, to tell me something, or just to meet me, will always receive my attention and respect,” the Latin pop star tweeted on Monday. “Those who come and put a fucking phone in my face, I will consider it for what it is, a lack of respect, and I will treat it likewise.” Bad Bunny, who in 2022 was Spotify’s most streamed global artist for a third consecutive year and completed a massive stadium tour, recently announced he’d be taking a break in the new year. “2023 is for me, for my physical health, my emotional health to breathe, enjoy my achievements,” he told Billb...
Barbados May Seek Reparations from Benedict Cumberbatch’s Family for Slavery
Barbados has begun seeking reparations from the descendants of slave owners, as The Daily Beast reports, and that may soon include the family of Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch’s seventh great-grandfather bought the island’s Cleland plantation in 1728 and passed down ownership until 1834, when slavery was abolished in Barbados. That plantation reportedly exploited 250 enslaved people and became the foundation of the Cumberbatch family fortune, a fact that the actor hasn’t shied away from. In a 2007 interview, according to the New York Times, Cumberbatch revealed that his mother urged him to pursue his career under an alias specifically to avoid paying reparations. He has also said that he took his role in 12 Years a Slave because h...
Fred White, Earth Wind & Fire Drummer, Dead at 67
Fred White, former drummer of Earth Wind & Fire, has died at the age of 67. “Child protégé, member of the EWF ORIGINAL 9, with gold records at the young age of 16 years old!” his brother and bandmate Verdine White wrote in an Instagram post that announced Fred’s passing. After getting his start drumming for Donny Hathaway, Fred White joined his brothers Verdine and Maurice White in Earth, Wind & Fire in 1974. He played on eight of the group’s albums, beginning with 1975’s That’s the Way of the World through 1983’s Electric Universe, and can be heard on such classic songs as “Shining Star,” “September,” and “Boogie Wonderland.” Related Video As a member of Earth, Wind & Fire, White was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Advertisement Fred was proceeded in deat...
Sebastian Marino, Former Guitarist for Overkill and Anvil, Dead at 57
Sebastian Marino, who played guitar in the bands Overkill and Anvil, died at the age of 57 in the early morning of January 1st after being rushed to a hospital while working a sound job at a New Year’s Eve event in Florida. Marino was a member of Canadian metal heroes Anvil from 1989 through 1995, appearing on their 1991 album Worth the Weight. Upon learning of Marino’s passing, Anvil singer-guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow wrote, “Condolences to my friend Sebastian Marino’s family and friends. Seby was a dear friend and I will miss him profoundly!! Worth the Weight was an extremely special Anvil album and it will keep Seby alive through our history forever! RIP SEBASTIAN MARINO.” The guitarist joined New Jersey thrash legends Overkill in late 1995, and remained with the band until 1999. He p...
