NEWS
One Dead, Others Injured After Illegal Quarantine Weekend Raves In Manchester
Two illegal “quarantine raves” in Manchester this weekend at Daisy Nook Country Park and in Carrington resulted in a rape, a death and three stabbings, according to the BBC. Photos and videos of the events created a stir on social media, as they showed people not wearing masks or social distancing despite mass gatherings being illegal in the U.K. due to the pandemic. Shots of volunteers picking up trash Sunday morning also went viral. The Daisy Nook event on Saturday, June 13 and was coined as a “quarantine rave,” according to a sign an attendee was holding. Roughly 4,000 people attended the rave as a 20-year-old man died of a suspected drug overdose. [embedded content] Roughly 2,000 people attended a rave in the suburb of Carrington, where the greater Manchester Police Force is investigat...
Fiona Apple to Donate 2 Years of Song Royalties to Charities
Fiona Apple is pledging to donate two years of TV and movie placement royalties from Fetch the Bolt Cutters cuts “Heavy Balloon” and “Shameika” to various charities. “Heavy Balloon” royalties will be going toward Seeding Sovereignty, which works to replace colonial institutions with Indigenous practices, while funds earned from “Shameika” will go toward the Harlem Children’s Zone, which supports children getting to college. And, if the tracks don’t get picked up for film or TV, Apple has pledged to donate $50,000 to each charity. [embedded content] Apple’s announcement first appeared on the “Fiona Apple Rocks” Tumblr account and also through her friend Zelda Hallman as well. https://www.instagram.com/p/CBbuxqXq5Da/ This isn’t the first time Apple donated or pledged to donate royalties...
Georgel’s Pride Playlist Is a Celebration of Black Queer Artists
In celebration of Pride Month, Mexican singer-songwriter Georgel is honoring and amplifying black queer artists who have inspired and empowered him throughout his career. The “Que No Nos Importe” singer shared exclusively with Billboard his ultimate pride playlist, which includes songs such as “Pink + White” by Frank Ocean, Todrick Hall‘s “Boys” and RuPaul’s “Cover Girl,” citing the drag star as “the Oprah of gay culture in my generation.” During Pride Month, the openly gay singer also took to social media to commemorate the Pulse nightclub shooting victims who died four years ago. In a poignant and heartfelt post, Georgel calls for unity and peace. “It was the biggest massacre of the century again...
Anthrax, Run-DMC, Suicidal Tendencies & Volbeat Host Charitable Jam Session
Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and Suicidal Tendencies bassist Ra Diaz virtually linked up with Run-DMC‘s Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Volbeat guitarist Rob Caggiano to perform a medley of rap and rock hits for a good cause. Benante praised McDaniels as the “KING of ROCK” in the video description of his highly anticipated six-minute jam session, which consisted of Run DMC’s “It’s Like That” and “Sucker MCs” from the hip-hop group’s 1984 self-titled debut LP and Anthrax’s “I’m The Man” titular track from its 1987 EP. The latter is still considered to be one of the first rap-rock hybrid songs. He made the combined virtual cover available for download on Bandcamp so the proceeds would go toward&nb...
Jesse & Joy Release Star-Studded ‘Love’ Video in Support of LGBTQ Community
With the help of nearly 200 people from all of over the world, including artists like Thalía, Juanes and more, Jesse & Joy are declaring “love is our language.” Today (June 15), the Mexican-American duo released the “Love” music video to speak out against violence toward the LGBTI+ community and raise awareness about conversion therapies that to this day take place in Mexico and other parts of the world. “Our music will always be there to remind you that you are beautiful just as you are,” the Mexican previously said about the song, included in their recently-released album Aire. “It’s called ‘Love’ and talks about love being the universal language, the language that all of us should speak.” Toward the end of the video, the message is loud and clear: “...
The Killers Return to Ellen DeGeneres Show With ‘Caution’
Since announcing their upcoming album, Imploding the Mirage, The Killers are giving fans some unconventional and stripped-down performances of “Caution,” the first single from it. However, as things are moving towards some sense of normalcy, Brandon Flowers and the rest of the band got together in the studio to do a full band performance of the song for Ellen DeGeneres Show, where they made their daytime television debut almost eight years ago. Flowers and drummer Ronnie Vanucci have previously played the track on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and from the lead singer’s bathroom for Jimmy Kimmel Live. They have also released “Fire in the Bone” and “Blowback.” Last week, the band shared a new version of “Land of the Free” with lyrics to reflect the murder of George Floyd. Watc...
Cold War Kids Unveil Short Tour Documentary Covering New Age Norms 1 Tour
If you’ve ever wondered what the guys in Cold War Kids do backstage, offstage, and occasionally onstage while on the road, you can now get a pretty good feel for it. The 11-minute tour documentary follows the band through their winter tour from just a few short months ago, providing an intimate look at the band’s daily life while touring. Seeing as many bands won’t be able to commit to full tours or music festivals again until COVID-19 is under control, the documentary is a good way to not only educate fans on what actually happens behind the scenes but also remind them of what a packed music venue looks and sounds like — a foreign concept in the age of social distancing. More than anything though, it’s a way for Cold War Kids to give their fans some new material as they wait for the ...
Faith Evans Domestic Violence Case Dismissed, Stevie J Ain’t No Snitch
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Faith Evans is off the hook. The domestic violence charges against the R&B singer have been dismissed, mostly because Stevie J wasn’t going to testify against her. According to TMZ, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is declining to prosecute the “You Used To Love Me” singer because Stevie J, the alleged victim and her husband, has declined to cooperate. Last month, Faith got pinched after getting into a heated argument at their home that allegedly turned violent. It was reportedly Stevie J who called the cops (okay, so he is kind of a snitch), but he supposedly only wanted her removed from the home, not arrested. However, the cops had to take Faith in after they noticed scratches on reality TV star Stevie J’s arms. In light of current events...
Ex-NYPD Spokesman Blasts NYPD For Killing Eric Garner
Source: Al Sharpton joins Gwen Carr, the mother of police victim Eric Garner, at the scene of his death six years ago, to call for first-degree murder charges against all four police officers involved with George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, on May 30, 2020 in Staten Island, New York. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) As painful and disturbing it was to watch George Floyd’s final moments and hear his final words of “I can’t breathe,” his murder sparked a historic movement that will hopefully be felt for generations to come. Now that many have been forced to do some soul searching and reflecting, former New York City Police Department spokesman, Michael DeBonis looked back on the 2014 death of Eric Garner at the hands of NYPD and admitted what we already knew, they kil...
#SayHerName: Beyoncé Sends Letter To AG Calling For “Swift” Justice For Breonna Taylor
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty The Carters are remaining active and demand justice for those who died at the hands of law enforcement. Beyoncé is making sure the Breonna Taylor’s name is not lost and forgotten in all of the noise. The Lemonade crafter made it abundantly clear that she wants “swift justice for Breonna Taylor, who died after she was shot in her own Louisville apartment by cops executing a “no-knock warrant.” In a letter sent to the Attorney General Daniel Cameron posted on her official website on June 14, she called for the AG to “commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officer’s criminal conduct” and to investigate the police department’s inadequate response to Taylor’s murder.” “Your office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justic...
LisaRaye McCoy Responds To Nicki Minaj’s “Trollz” Shot, Stands By Her Statement
Source: Leon Bennett / Getty Now that Nicki Minaj is back on the rap scene it seems like her feud with LisaRaye is going to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future. According to Madamenoire the drama started when LisaRaye weighed in on the Nicki Minaj/Lil Kim situation and suggested that Nicki “bow down” to the Queen Bee due to her seniority in the rap game during her appearance on Claudia Jordan’s Fox Soul show, Out Loud With Claudia Jordan. “We can all stand together Queens and say that all of us are acknowledging the fact that Lil Kim came before Nicki Minaj so Nicki just take a seat. You don’t have to sit down for long. But just take a bow. Just like Beyoncé said, ‘Bow down bitches.” Needless to say Nicki’s social media army, “The Barbz” came for Jordan with Nicki even threatening Jo...
John Dolmayan of System of a Down Calls Democrats ‘True Fascists,’ ‘True Bigots’
System of a Down’s drummer John Dolmayan is back on Instagram with another politically charged post, as he wished the president a “happy birthday” on Sunday and called Democrats “the true bigots hidden in plain sight from the same party who fought to maintain slavery.” Dolmayan has previously said his political leanings set him apart from his bandmates, particularly vocalist Serj Tankian, who recently called for the president’s resignation. And after calling Trump the “most attacked president in history yet the greatest friend to minorities” and calling the defunding of police “stupidity,” Dolmayan elaborated and explained why he shares his thoughts on Instagram. “The reason I post my opinions on this forum and open myself up to attack and ridicule is for you, the silent ones who think the...
