Disco
That Bee Gees Biopic Is Stayin’ Alive with Kenneth Branagh as Director
When news first broke that Graham King, producer of the treacly Queen flick Bohemian Rhapsody, would be making a biopic about the Bee Gees, serious fans around the world screamed, “Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!” But now our hopes for a good movie are stayin’ alive, as Variety reports that Sir Kenneth Branagh has been tapped as director. After establishing himself in the 1980s and ’90s as an actor and director of Shakespearian adaptations, Branagh became a constant presence on Hollywood sets, moving into a new phase when he helmed Marvel’s Thor in 2011. The five-time Oscar nominee’s recent credits include Murder on the Orient Express and Artemis Fowl, and if that doesn’t inspire confidence, rest assured that few filmmakers today are as qualified to make a movie about men with astoundi...
10 Times Daft Punk Blew Our Minds
After nearly 30 years of groundbreaking music, Parisian duo Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, famously known as Daft Punk, amicably ended their partnership. The band were among the most influential and renowned acts of their time, crafting a unique sound that merged electronic, Euro music with funk elements — a unique blend that made them icons in the music world. After hearing the news, fans and fellow artists alike gushed forth with tributes denoting the massive reach of the dynamic duo’s one-of-a-kind artistry. Without question, Daft Punk’s artistic ingenuity and anonymity have left an indelible mark on the music industry and beyond. We don’t know for sure if there’s a future for Daft Punk. However, we can surely pause a day later to look back and celebrate the lega...
PHED: Why blackout persists in Rivers communities
File Photo The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company said five power towers were damaged by suspected vandals at the Elelenwo transmission substation in Obio/Apkor Local Government Area, plunging several communities in Rivers State into darkness. Acting Head, Corporate Communications, PHED, Ngozi Koroye, who disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the installation belongs to the Transmission Company of Nigeria. Koroye explained that the action of the hoodlums caused extensive damage to the facility, noting that the company felt the pains of residents in the affected areas who have been in darkness for over one month. “The outage though regrettable is as a result of extensive damage caused by the activities of electricity vandals to towers 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55. Five towe...
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart Is the Bee Gees Doc You’ve Been Waiting For: Review
The Pitch: Three Australian brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb formed the most formidable musical and songwriter trio this side of Holland-Dozier-Holland when they became the Bee Gees. Musical chameleons, they rose to fame during the late-staged British Invasion of the 1960s, recalibrated for the singer-songwriter era of the early-1970s, and rose to a level of fame during the height of disco not seen since The Beatles. Director Frank Marshall captures it all in his new HBO documentary, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, mixing spine-tingling isolation tracks and archival interviews with the brothers Gibb to tell a captivating story of a sibling trio who, despite their differences, thrived due to their deep love. To Love Somebody: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart finds the B...
Lykke Li Covers Gloria Gaynor Classic “I Will Survive”: Stream
It’s been well over a year since we’ve heard anything new from Lykke Li. That changes today, however, with the release of a fresh cover song. Fitting considering these unprecedented times, she has tackled the Gloria Gaynor anthem “I Will Survive”. In 2018, the Swedish songwriter effortlessly turned mournful brooding into something hot and heavy on her bluntly titled but very good so sad so sexy. It should come as no surprise, then, that her rendition of a disco classic sounds far and away from Gaynor’s original 1979 vision. That’s not to say the cover isn’t worth a spin or two, especially if you’re a fan of the way Li can evoke a very specific fragile ambiance. Hear it for yourself below, and then revisit Gaynor’s recent interview on This Must Be the Gig. Lately, Li has been surviving...
R.I.P. Kool & the Gang Founder Ronald Bell, Dead at 68
Ronald Bell, co-founder of the R&B, soul, and funk group Kool & the Gang, has died at the age of 68. According to Universal Music, Bell passed away suddenly early Wednesday morning (Sept. 9th) at his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The two-time Grammy Award-winning Kool & the Gang was formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964 by Ronald “Khalis” Bell, his brother Robert “Kool” Bell, Dennis “D.T.” Thomas, Robert “Spike” Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. Over the course of their five-decade career, the group has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and achieved 12 top ten singles in the US. Their songs filled the radio airwaves throughout the 1970s and ’80s, in addition to soundtracks for films like Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, and Pulp Fiction. Ronald is cre...
Jamie xx and The Avalanches Perform B2B DJ Set for NTS Radio: Stream
Jamie xx (photo by David Brendan Hall) and The Avalanches (photo by photo by Grant Spanier) Jamie xx and The Avalanches were supposed to perform on the same stage back in March at Sydney’s No Coal Zone climate change benefit. That event got called off due to coronavirus, but two months later, the musicians have found a way to get together anyway. Jamie xx invited The Avalanches to join him for a back to back DJ set on his monthly NTS radio show. Broadcast live on Friday morning, the hour-long set is now available to stream below. Announcing the collaborative performance on Instagram, Jamie xx described the “special” set as an “actual dream come true.” While no tracklist has yet been provided, the b2b set is tagged as “funk,” “soul,” and “classic disco,” with the participants trading off re...
