NEWS
Mykki Blanco, MNEK & More Stars Start Off Pride Month by Remembering Its Protest Roots
On June 28, 1969, hundreds of queer people fought back against police brutality at The Stonewall Inn in New York City. Many black and brown folks, including pioneers like Marsha P. Johnson, were the catalysts of those protests, and eventually of the LGBTQ rights movement that followed. The Stonewall Riots are widely considered to be the beginning of what we now know as Pride Month, which begins today (June 1). As demonstrators around the country gather to mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and many others, and to protest the continued police brutality used against the black community, many are calling for the LGBTQ community at large to use this Pride Month as a time to stand in solidarity with the protesters. On Monday (June 1), those sentiments were shared online by a number...
Bandcamp to Donate All Sales to NAACP Legal Defense Fund on Juneteenth
Bandcamp announced that it will be donating 100% of its sales on Juneteenth to the NAACP. In the announcement by Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond, the company said it will honor the date by repeating this practice every year. Juneteenth, which is June 19, is recognized as the date of the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy in 1865 and was two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation. “The recent killings of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the ongoing state-sanctioned violence against black people in the US and around the world are horrific tragedies. We stand with those rightfully demanding justice, equality, and change, and people of color everywhere who l...
Record Store Day Shares New List of Exclusive Releases
Record Store Day has just announced 2020’s “RSD Drops,” its annual collection of vinyl which will be released on three separate days this year — Aug. 29, Sept. 26 and Oct. 24. While the event regularly takes place in April, organizers wanted vinyl collectors to be mindful of social-distancing regulations. And with previously unreleased tracks from David Bowie’s rehearsals for his 50th birthday show at Madison Square Garden, a 50th anniversary pressing of Paul McCartney’s McCartney, a Soundgarden tribute from Brandi Carlile and a RSD-exclusive EP from Meat Puppets, there’s plenty of reasons to mark your calendars a couple extra times. Here’s what RSD ambassador Carlile had to say about recording “Black Hole Sun” and “Searching With My Good Eye Closed.” “The twins and I met in the late ...
Fiona Apple Joins Black Lives Matter Protests in California
Like many around the U.S., Fiona Apple joined the protests against racism and police brutality over the weekend. Carrying a sign with “COPS: DON’T BE WHITE CHAUVINISTS ARREST THE OTHER THREE!!!,” Apple, who also made sure to wear a mask, walked with protestors in Santa Monica. Zelda Hallman, a filmmaker and Apple’s housemate, posted a photo of Apple at the protest and shared a message to urge people to join the movement. “Getting justice for Mr. George Floyd is just the beginning of a VERY long road of dismantling racism in our institutions,” Hallman wrote. “But let’s get that justice. By the way, this was a peaceful protest but the police decided to change that and then I came home and watched a @cnn corespondent outright lie about what was happening. Let’s get justice for Mr. Floyd and t...
Kiss Guitarist Bob Kulick Dies at 70
Kiss guitarist Bob Kulick, who toured and worked in the studio with the band, has died at the age of 70. “I am heartbroken to have to share the news of the passing of my brother Bob Kulick,” Bruce Kulick wrote on Twitter. “His love of music, and his talent as a musician and producer should always be celebrated. Please respect the Kulick Family’s privacy during this sad time. RIP.” I am heartbroken to have to share the news of the passing of my brother Bob Kulick. His love of music, and his talent as a musician and producer should always be celebrated. Please respect the Kulick Family’s privacy during this sad time. RIP pic.twitter.com/LUWC6k69Ml — Bruce Kulick (@brucekulick) May 29, 2020 A cause of death had not been revealed as of publication. Born in Brooklyn in 1...
Chance the Rapper Defends George Floyd Protestors: ‘Damaging Property Is Not Violent’
Chance the Rapper is coming to the defense of protesters across the nation. The Chicago MC took to Twitter on Saturday (May 30) to address protests in Los Angeles, New York, San Jose, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., where citizens are flooding the streets over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. “If you hold a pen at a publication, this is the time be carefully intent with your words. Do not demonize the people that are being beat and battered in the streets,” Chance wrote. “Damaging property is not violent. But the actions of the state have been. It must be documented justly.” Earlier this week, a video of Floyd’s death surfaced showing Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of Floyd f...
Surprise! 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Won’t Get Price Hike
In big news for Corvette fans: There will not be a price increase for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stringray. It’s a silver lining in the production storm that battered the launch of the C8 that was reimagined as a mid-engine sports car after 50 years of longing by Vette enthusiasts. That means the base price for the 2021 Stingray coupe, which was the 2020 MotorTrend Car of the Year, remains at $59,995 while the convertible stays pat at $67,495. Other good news: You don’t have to get the Z51 performance package to enjoy GM’s excellent Magnetic Ride Control. It will be a standalone option, even on the base model, says Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer for the Corvette. Customers will be able to order the 2021 C8s in late July. “We initially said we would start ...
2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Confirmed: Here Are the First Official Photos
It’s finally official: The Ford Mustang Mach 1 is back, and according to Mustang director Dave Pericak, it’ll be “the most track-capable 5.0-liter Mustang ever.” Considering how good the Mustang GT Performance Pack 2 is, those are bold words. But the Blue Oval confirms that the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 will be perched on the highest rung of the 5.0-liter Mustang ladder—at least for however long the limited-edition model remains on sale. Beyond that, few other details were given. But we do get to see the new pony car undergoing track testing for the first time. Though the front and rear ends of the Mach 1 remain camouflaged, a few details peek out. The most obvious difference is the Mach 1’s circular air inlets or foglight holes flanking the galloping horse emb...
Dr. Dre on George Floyd’s Death: ‘Felt Like That Cop Had His Knee on All of Our Necks’
Dr. Dre joined Lil Wayne to speak about the “extremely painful” death of George Floyd, the unarmed Minneapolis resident killed by a police officer who kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes, on Apple Music‘s Young Money Radio Friday night (May 29). “It’s like, man, that situation, it hurt my heart. My heart is still aching,” Dr. Dre said. “And it felt like that cop had his knee on all of our necks, meaning black men. And yeah, it’s extremely painful. It’s extremely painful because it keeps going on. It continues to go on and it’s like, ‘What can we do? Or what do we need to do to make this thing stop? What is supposed to happen to make this thing stop? It has to stop. What the… is supposed to happen?'R...
Music Industry Calling for a ‘Blackout’ in Response to George Floyd’s Death
The music industry is calling for a “Blackout Tuesday” in response to the death of George Floyd. On Friday (May 29), less than a week after Floyd was suffocated by a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest, numerous music companies and artists began spreading a message on social media calling for “a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with out community” and “an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change.” “As gatekeepers of the culture, it’s our responsibility to not only come together to celebrate the wins, but also hold each other up during loss,” reads the statement, which is being circulated under the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused. The proposed blackout is set for Tuesday, June 2. Among those reposting the message are Apple ...
Dan + Shay Reemerge on Social Media to Denounce Racism After George Floyd’s Death: ‘Please Use Your Voice’
Country duo Dan + Shay returned to social media after a two-month break to urge others to join them in fighting racism following the death of George Floyd, the unarmed Minneapolis resident killed by a police officer who kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. On Saturday afternoon (May 30) — after spending the last few months social distancing and quietly working on new music, with their last public update posted on March 13 — Dan + Shay broke their silence with a call to action for their one million followers. “It has been quite difficult to remove ourselves from social media for the last few months, and we intended to stay inactive for a little bit longer, as we put the finishing touches on what we think is our best work yet, but this past week’s events i...
Chrissy Teigen Vows to Donate $200K Toward Bailing Out Protesters in Light of ‘MAGA Night’
Chrissy Teigen announced her own weekend plans as Donald Trump’s “MAGA Night” trended on Twitter Saturday (May 30). Following Trump’s tweet — “The professionally managed so-called ‘protesters’ at the White House had little to do with the memory of George Floyd. They were just there to cause trouble. The @SecretService handled them easily. Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE??? — and the hashtag that resulted, Teigen said she will be donating $200,000 to help bail out arrested protesters around the country. “In celebration of whatever the f— maga night is, I am committed to donating $100,000 to the bail outs of protestors across the country,” Teigen wrote, while husband John Legend retweeted her upda...
