NEWS
SoundCloud Launches Its Own Twitch Channel for Original Live Programming
SoundCloud has officially thrown its hat into the music livestreaming ring by signing up for its own Twitch channel. On the heels of some big moves to bolster their position in the virtual music livestreaming space by other major companies, like Facebook, SoundCloud is making a concerted effort to intensify their endeavors in an increasingly robust streaming landscape in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the launch of its own Twitch channel, SoundCloud jumps into the fray to capitalize on the heightened consumer demand for livestreaming experiences by building out its own catalog of original content. SoundCloud will be airing panel discussions with industry experts, DJ and live music sets, and a number of interview series with artists, producers, and creator...
Spanish Government Initiates Three-Step Plan to Reintroduce Live Events Amid Pandemic
Spain’s government recently announced and initiated a three-phase plan to reintroduce live events into its cities, furthering its efforts to ease restrictions on large gatherings in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first phase of the plan, which allows “cultural events” to take place, is currently underway and will be rolling out on a case-by-case basis in each province, relative to the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in each respective area. According to Spanish news outlet The Local, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that bars and restaurants with terraces will be able to operate at 50% of their full capacity. The statement follows a preceding announcement that limited local venue owners to open its doors at only 30% capacity, which was u...
Florian Schneider, Pioneering Co-Founder of Kraftwerk, Dead at 73
Florian Schneider, who co-founded iconic electronic band Kraftwerk in Düsseldorf back in 1970, has tragically passed away at the age of 73. Kraftwerk co-founder and German compatriot Ralf Hütter confirmed that the legendary electronic artist, who celebrated his 73rd birthday on April 7th, “passed away from a short cancer disease just a few days after his 73rd birthday.” Prior to his Schneider’s unfortunate passing, Kraftwerk was primed for a barnstorming summer tour of North America in celebration of the group’s landmark 50th anniversary, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 concerns. During his time with Kraftwerk, Schneider was regarded as one of the most pioneering artists of his generation as a founding member of the prolifi...
Grimes Explains the Bizarre Meaning Behind the Name of Her New Baby Boy, X Æ A-12
Remember that infamous “Math Lady” meme? The one with the confused woman trying to figure out the equations swirling around her head? After Grimes‘ attempt at an explanation behind her new baby boy’s name, we are all that woman. Following the birth of X Æ A-12, which Elon Musk commemorated with a picture of the newborn edited with a face tattoo filter, Grimes took to Twitter to offer up a stupefying explanation that does little to demystify the bizarre name. The Twittersphere, of course, has been buzzing with ludicrous theories and explanations, lionizing Grimes as both profound and ridiculous. The jury is still out on the pronunciation of the name, but one woman did her best to offer some clarity.
Jessica Simpson Calls ‘Body Shaming’ Met Gala Oral History ‘Nauseating’
Jessica Simpson is not having it. On Tuesday (May 5), the star issued a stern clapback after a former Vogue staffer recounted an experience from the 2007 Met Gala for the magazine’s new oral history of the event. The drama started when Sally Singer, Vogue‘s former creative digital director, told a story about Simpson’s appearance at the 2007 Met Gala, which was themed “Poiret: King of Fashion,” with then-boyfriend John Mayer. “She was wearing Michael Kors and her breasts maybe fell out of her dress on the red carpet,” Singer recalled to the magazine. “And then at dinner it was suddenly like, whoa, Jessica Simpson’s breasts are across from me at the dinner table and they are on a platter and I’m looking at them. And John Mayer was putting his ...
Milky Chance Raves About Working With Jack Johnson on ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ During Billboard Live At-Home
Milky Chance hosted a Billboard Live At-Home performance Wednesday (May 6) to raise money for the National Coalition for the Homeless. Lead vocalist/guitarist Clemens Rehbein and bassist/percussionist Philipp Dausch kicked off the set with their Jack Johnson-assisted single “Don’t Let Me Down,” which the German folk group released last Friday (May 1). “We listened to Jack’s music since we were teenagers, so we’ve been big fans for years now,” Rehbein said after wrapping up the acoustic tune. “And it was such a nice experience meeting him on tour two years ago, I guess, for the first time? That already felt like a life goal. And we kept in touch and then we started working together on that song. And now it’s out and it’s just ...
BMF’s Big Meech Seeks Early Release Due To COVID-19, Southwest T Already Out
Source: John Ricard / Getty The Coronavirus Pandemic has been a boon for people serving jail sentences to seek an early release out of concerns of contracting COVID-19. The latest inmates seeking and gaining release, with dropping dime a la Tekashi 6ix9ine, are infamous Black Mafia Family (BMF) kingpins Terry “Southwest T” Flenory and Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory. According to the Detroit News, Southwest T left custody on Tuesday (May 5) while his brother Big Meech remains incarcerated. But he wants out early due to COVID-19 running rampant through the federal prison system. Southwest T was reportedly in charge of the West Coast operation of the family drug dealing organization that’s said to have brought in at least $270 million. The 50-year-old was due to be released from a Kentucky pri...
RoboCop & Other Updates Announced As Part of ‘Mortal Kombat 11: Atfermath’ Expanasion
Source: Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath / WB Games Mortal Kombat 11 is getting a much-needed expansion, and its right on time. Mortal Kombat 11’s story mode was GOOD… REALLY GOOD. So it’s exciting news that the story will continue with the announcement of the Aftermath expansion. The story picks right up after now Fire God, Lui Kang issued the fade to Kronika and saving the world once again. Unfortunately, the moment of short peace is interrupted by the arrival of Shang Tsung and two familiar allies. Tsung proposes an unlikely partnership to go back in time and retrieve Kronika’s crown — which was destroyed — because without it, Lui Kang cannot restart history. With the Aftermath expansion, we do not only get another chapter in the story mode but some new characters to dish out punishment with...
NYPD Detective Is Actually Fired For Bogus Drug Arrests
Source: Douglas Sacha / Getty The NYPD has a bit of explaining to do. One of their veterans has been caught fabricating very important details that have landed people in prison. As spotted on The Daily News one New York City officer has been formally terminated from their position and based on the evidence it was long overdue. On Tuesday, April 21 Detective Joseph Franco was fired for allegedly framing defendants. According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office he was indicted in 2019 for “entering false testimony during court proceedings and making false statements in court documents on multiple occasions while he was assigned to Narcotics Borough Manhattan South, resulting in three unlawful arrests.” Between February 21, 2017 and May 3, 2018, Franco is said to have entered fal...
Barack And Michelle Obama To Virtually Honor The HBCU 2020 Graduating Class
Source: WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 14: U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama speak onstage at TNT Christmas in Washington 2014 at the National Building Museum on December 14, 2014 in Washington, DC. 25248_001_0621.JPG (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage) Even though COVID-19 has derailed the moment millions of students have worked so hard some grads have something special to look forward to. The only POTUS we recognize will be delivering a special message to the future leaders of our culture. As spotted on News One Barack and Michelle Obama have signed on to host a virtual college graduation ceremony in light of most learning institutions being shut down due to the current pandemic. On Tuesday, May 5 he made the formal announcement via social media. “I’ve always lo...
Skrillex’s Set at Remote Utopias This Weekend Is a B2B with Thys of Noisia
After Skrillex was recently announced as one of the performers at the 24-hour radio takeover event Remote Utopias, the EDM world went into a frenzy. Skrillex has hosted a few livestreams over the course of the pandemic, but they were more geared towards interaction with his fans and fellow producers as opposed to a full-blown DJ set. That is set to change this Sunday, when Remote Utopias will be hosting Skrillex for a B2B set with Thys of famed electronic act Noisia at the 24-hour radio takeover event hosted by NTS Radio. According to the official NTS Radio mobile app, which shared the event’s schedule, a Skrillex B2B Thys set is planned on Sunday, May 3rd at 3:45AM. As of the time of writing, there is no word on whether it will be a new live set or a re-broa...
Fortnite “Party Royale” Will Feature DJ Sets from Deadmau5, Dillon Francis, and Steve Aoki
Epic Games has announced its newest Fortnite mode, “Party Royale,” which will feature virtual shows from Deadmau5, Dillon Francis, and Steve Aoki. Fortnite players were first introduced to “Party Royale” in the game’s v12.50 patch, where players were able to interact and dance with each other in-game. Due to its instant popularity, which was augmented by an in-game concert featuring Diplo and Major Lazer, Epic released it as a trial run in rapid fashion. The premiere of “Party Royale” marks an exciting development for both gamers and Epic, as it represents the latest effort by the preeminent video game developer to enhance the Battle Royale genre. They’re goal is to transform harness its flagship product into a social hub for g...
