In 2020 Bartees Strange caught lightning in a bottle, going from little name recognition to rising star on the strength of one of the best albums of the year, Live Forever. Now he’s made his national TV debut, performing his tour-de-force track “Boomer” on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Catch the replay below. “Boomer” isn’t just one of the strongest cuts on a killer album, it’s also a chance for the multi-talented Strange to dig deep into his bag of tricks. Rhythmically and lyrically, the verses are influenced by hip-hop, while the pre-chorus and hook showcase his scorching vocals and elevate “Boomer” into a soaring rock and roll anthem. Earlier this week, Strange shared a rocking cover of Judee Sill’s “The Pearl” which will appear on an upcoming tribute album from producer Lorenzo Wol...
Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell have become the premier power couple in country rock, not just by releasing great music, but also by speaking their minds even as it alienated some parts of their fanbase. Now, the dynamic duo have taken their convictions to a national late-night audience, inviting The Tonight Show into their stained-glass studio for a performance of their new abortion-rights single “The Problem”. The song originally dropped in September with intimate lyrics that explored the dizzying headspace of a young woman who sees her life spinning out of control. Then on January 22nd, which also happened to be the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Shires reworked the track with a star-studded crew of women into “Our Problem”. But for her appearance on Fallon, Shires reverted b...
Netflix is bringing the love in February 2021. Leading the charge is Sam Levinson’s highly anticipated black and white drama Malcolm & Marie. Starring John David Washington and Zendaya, the film was the first feature to be written and filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also bringing the hugs and kisses is Maggie Friedman’s new drama Firefly Lane. Based on the novel of the same name by Kristin Hannah, the series stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke as two lifetime friends whose bond has yet to break. Elsewhere, there’s the Korean space drama Space Sweepers, the true crime docuseries Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, Kevin James’ new NASCAR comedy series The Crew, and the star-studded TIFF stunner I Care a Lot. In terms of archival additions, subscribers can enjoy a coup...
The Weeknd is already set for the coveted halftime performance, but the NFL is also planning a Super Bowl LIV pre-show event. Before the game kicks off, Miley Cyrus will headline a special gig for healthcare workers who are helping combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The pre-show event, dubbed TikTok Tailgate, will take place in Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium several hours before the biggest football game of the year kicks off. The NFL has already given 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers tickets to the Super Bowl for free. Those same attendees will be invited to the TikTok Tailgate, too. Cyrus broke the news on Instagram this afternoon alongside a high school-style collage of herself holding pom-poms in a football jersey. “SUPER BOWL LV!!! 💗🏈 I’ll be...
Nandi Bushell has entered her emo phase. The 10-year-old drumming sensation has shared an impeccable cover of My Chemical Romance’s 2006 anthem, “Welcome To The Black Parade”. After initially going viral with a stunning Queens of the Stone Age cover in January 2020, the precocious Englishmulti-instrumentalist has banged out equally masterful renditions of songs from Metallica, Rage Against The Machine, Muse, Blur, and most recently Led Zeppelin. Today, Bushell is moving past the classic rock staples and fully embracing the mid-2000s emo songbook. And not only does she do incredible justice to this rock-opera-banger in a musical sense, but she’s also dressed in a marching band uniform that calls back to the attire MCR rocked at the time. “I love being able to let out all my energy after a s...
Sheila E. (photo via Wikipedia) and Prince (photo via Warner Bros.) Sheila E. has announced that she’s making a biopic about her relationship with Prince. In a very brief Facebook post, The Queen of Percussion shared the name of the film and insinuated that it will arrive in the not-too-distant future. “Coming soon…Sheila E. to release ‘Girl Meets Boy’, a film telling the beautiful story of her time with Prince. Stay Tuned.” The “Glamorous Life” singer first met the Purple One at a concert in the late ’70s, and years later she ended up contributing vocals during the Purple Rain recording sessions. After receiving a couple Grammy nominations for her own 1984 song “The Glamorous Life”, Sheila E. and her band opened for Prince’s Purple Rain Tour. It was during this ti...
Godzilla vs. Kong (HBO Max) Seek shelter because the monsters are due on your local Maple street. Legendary has unveiled the first trailer for the highly anticipated crossover blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong, which arrives in your living room on March 26th via HBO Max. Directed by Adam Wingard (The Guest, You’re Next), the follow-up to both 2019’s Godzilla: King of Monsters and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island pits the titular beasts against one another in what will undoubtedly be a landmark real estate disaster. Judging from the trailer below, it would appear that Kong and Godzilla aren’t the only titans to terrify humanity. No, much like the other entries in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, there are all sorts of creatures to behold (and run away from). Doing all the sprinting this time around is The St...
Throughout quarantine, many of us have picked up new hobbies like baking bread, sewing quilts, playing board games, or exercising. Seth Rogen also has a new pastime: calling Ted Cruz a fascist and telling him to “fuck off”. As Uproxx points out, the 38-year-old actor has made it his mission to tweet insults at the 50-year-old Texas senator/pathetic MAGA loyalist for being, well, a conniving piece of shit. On January 20th, the uniquely unlikable Cruz decided to engage with Rogen when the vocal anti-Trumper responded to Cruz’s dimwitted criticism of Biden rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement with a terse, “Fuck off you fascist”. Cruz replied by quote-tweeting Rogen with some insufferable bullshit about him being a rich Hollywood celebrity, and Rogen again responded concisely: “Hah...
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox are back with another Sunday treat — a musical workout routine to the Guns N’ Roses classic “Welcome to the Jungle”. The couple’s last two “Sunday Lunch” quarantine performances — Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” — are closing in on a combined 5 million views. Those clips are as popular for Toyah’s revealing outfits as much as the couple’s quirky takes on the rock classics, and the trend continues for the GN’R cover. Fitness seems to be a central theme to the playful pair’s recent performances. After rocking an exercise bike (“Enter Sandman”) and a cheerleader routine (“Rebel Yell”), Toyah turns the focus on biceps with dumbbell curls, all while paying homage to Axl Rose’s signature snake dance. Fu...
Trapt made headlines in 2020 for the first time since they hit it big with their 2002 song “Headstrong”, but it wasn’t for their music. The group’s singer, Chris Taylor Brown, turned the band’s social media channels into a MAGA mega horn, and now it has resulted in the departure of drummer Michael Smith. Much like Donald Trump, Trapt’s Facebook and Twitter accounts were both suspended recently. Brown and company were knocked off Facebook for a pro-Proud Boys post, while Twitter shut the band’s feed down for a post that seemed to condone statutory rape. Those posts came after Brown questioned whether systemic racism exists, exclaiming, “Civil rights act was passed over 50 years ago. Move the f**k on!” He also called for the firing of Dr. Anthony Fauci, claiming the infectious disease expert...
The minute we saw that one chilly Vermonter huddled over with crossed arms, a ragged but resolute stare plastered on his face, memories of concerts past instantly came rushing in. Specifically our encounters with merch stand folks, the unsung heroes of every glorious live music-filled night. So, in honor of all the hardworking merch table workers out there, no doubt hit hard by this pandemic, we’ve taken the Internet’s favorite meme and made it a charitable reality with our Merch Man long sleeve T-shirt. The incredibly detailed illustration was designed by Steve Fiche and printed on a navy blue shirt. The Merch Man shirt is the third piece in our Protect Live Music merch capsule and is available in limited quantities. To help support merch slingers and other touring crew members, 50% of ne...
After a number of trial runs, The Flaming Lips have officially performed the “World’s First Space Bubble Concert”. The show took place on Friday, January 22nd at The Criterion in the group’s hometown of Oklahoma City. The audience was safely split up into 100 different giant, inflatable hamster balls, while each band member had their own individual translucent sphere up on stage. As to be expected from a Flaming Lips show, there were colorful balloons galore, and even some specially made silver ones that cathartically spelled out “FUCK YOU COVID-19”. As for the setlist, it consisted of 13 fan favorites, including “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1”, “She Don’t Use Jelly”, “Race for the Prize”, and “Do You Realize??”. The gig also featured the live debut of “Flowers of Neptune 6”, off ...