Nicol Ostrc

BLACKPINK share striking teaser for ‘Pink Venom’ music video

BLACKPINK have shared a striking new teaser for the music video for their new single ‘Pink Venom’, ahead of its release later this week. The track will serve as the lead single for the K-pop girl group’s second album, ‘BORN PINK’, which is due out in September. The short teaser opens with dust blowing towards the camera, a sharp blade striking a swinging pendulum and a close-up of someone playing the traditional Korean instrument called a gayageum. The scenes then change to show rows of figures dressed in black satin hooded cloaks kneeling on the floor, pink glowing from beneath their hoods. Advertisement As the clip ends, the four members of BLACKPINK – Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa – are seen in various shots, as the line “I bring the pain like” rings out. Watch it below now. ‘Pink Venom’ will be released on Friday (August 19) and will be accompanied by a #PinkVenomChallenge on YouTube Shorts. Details of what the challenge will entail have yet to be confirmed. ‘BORN PINK’ will follow the single on September 16. The four-piece’s label YG Entertainment have previously said the title for the record “implies the identity” of the group, “which is never… Read More →

16AUGNews

Panic! At The Disco share the video for their new single ‘Don’t Let The Light Go Out’

Panic! At The Disco have shared their latest single ‘Don’t Let The Light Go Out’ – you can watch the accompanying video for the song below. The track is set to be the final preview of the Brendon Urie-led band’s forthcoming new album ‘Viva Las Vengeance’, which is set for release on Friday (August 19) and is their first LP since 2018’s ‘Pray For The Wicked’. READ MORE: iDKHOW debut ‘Razzmatazz’ video and tell us about their debut album: “A lot of artists treat art like a product” ‘Don’t Let The Light Go Out’ is the latest single to be released from the album following its title track, ‘Middle Of A Breakup’ and ‘Local God’. Advertisement Panic! have also shared the Brendan Walter-directed video for the song, which sees Urie taking an increasingly surreal trip in his car – you can watch the black-and-white clip below. A press release for ‘Viva Las Vengeance’ says that the record “shows a change in process for frontman/songwriter Brendon Urie, having cut everything live to tape in Los Angeles alongside his friends and production partners, Jake Sinclair and Mike Viola”. “The cinematic musical journey is about the fine line between taking advantage of your youth, seizing… Read More →

16AUGNews

Low cancel UK and European tour dates amid Mimi Parker’s cancer treatment

Low have cancelled their forthcoming UK and European shows due to the “recent developments and changes” in Mimi Parker’s cancer treatment. READ MORE: Low – ‘Hey What’ review: Minnesota duo shake off the ‘slowcore’ tag once and for all Parker, who formed the band with her husband Alan Sparhawk in 1993, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer late 2020. She first spoke about her health condition during an appearance on the SHEROES Radio podcast this January. Per their official website, Low had been scheduled to hit the road this week for a string of dates including Green Man festival in Wales (August 19), Helsinki, Finland (22) and Oslo, Norway (24). They were also set to play at All Points East in London next Friday (26) before heading to Connect Festival in Edinburgh the following day (27). Taking to social media yesterday (August 15), however, Low announced that the gigs would no longer be taking place. “We have to cancel our upcoming shows this month in Wales, Scandinavia, England, and Scotland,” their statement began. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Low (@lowtheband) “As some of you know, Mimi has been fighting cancer. Recent developments and changes in treatment have… Read More →

15AUGHit Singles

Bill Pitman, Wrecking Crew guitarist, has died aged 102

Guitarist Bill Pitman, a veteran of The Wrecking Crew, has died at the age of 102. ORDER NOW: Joni Mitchell is on the cover of the latest issue of Uncut As reported by The New York Times, Pitman died on Thursday August 11 at his home in La Quinta, California. No cause of death has been revealed, however Pitman reportedly spent the last month of his life recovering from an accident that left him with a fractured spine. Born on February 12, 1920, Pitman was raised in a musical household, as his father worked as a staff bassist for programming at NBC. His journey with music began at age five and through high school, making regular treks from New Jersey to Manhattan as an admirer of the local jazz scene. He began playing in jazz clubs around LA in 1951 (at age 31) and his career catapulted after scoring a regular gig in Peggy Lee‘s backing band. Advertisement He went on to perform regularly for The Rusty Draper Show, a radio gig that he stuck with for three years before being poached for session work by artists like Al Hendrickson, Howard Roberts, Buddy Rich and Red Callender. His introduction to… Read More →

15AUGNews

Pennsylvanian festival Musikfest shut down after shooting incident

This year’s edition of Musikfest – an annual 11-day music festival held in the Leigh Valley town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania – was temporarily shut down after a shooting incident led to a panicked stampede. As reported by local paper The Morning Call, police attended the scene shortly before 11pm on Saturday (August 13), after a single gunshot was reported to be heard between Main Street and Lehigh Street. It’s unclear how many people were involved in the shooting, however in a press release sent from the scene, Bethlehem police chief Michelle Kott said “law enforcement [was] on site and in control of the situation”, and that there was “no known continuing threat to the public”. Kott reportedly noted that an investigation had been launched and described the shooting as an “isolated incident”. Advertisement Alarmed by the shooting, festival-goers were reportedly sent into a panic that led to several being injured in a stampede. One attendee, Christina, told The Morning Call that she’d witnessed a particularly chaotic surge of bodies running opposite Plaza Tropical. “We tried to get as close to a tent as possible, but that just wasn’t enough,” she said. “They were still coming directly at us. We were… Read More →

14AUGNews

Britney Spears’ ex-husband takes plea deal in stalking case

Britney Spears’ ex-husband, Jason Alexander, has accepted a plea deal in his felony stalking case after he infamously crashed the singer’s wedding back in June. READ MORE: Britney Spears’ court appearance was a display of her strength, and the power of #FreeBritney Spears married her third husband, Sam Asghari, on June 9 of this year. Mere hours before the ceremony begun, though, decorators were interrupted by Alexander – to whom Spears was married for just 55 hours in 2004 – who declared he was “here to crash the wedding”. He was arrested by Ventura County police on an outstanding warrant, and Spears was later granted a restraining order against him. As reported by Rolling Stone, Alexander appeared in court on Thursday (August 11), where he pleased no contest to the misdemeanour charges of aggravated trespassing and battery. As a result of him accepting the plea deal, it was reported, Alexander was cleared of a felony stalking count and a misdemeanour vandalism count. Advertisement He was sentenced to 128 days in county jail, though he won’t be required to serve any of that time. Alexander spent 64 days in custody prior to the court hearing, and by proxy of “good behaviour”… Read More →

13AUGNews

Jenny Lewis cancels all indoor concerts over COVID-19 concerns

Jenny Lewis has cancelled a handful of her forthcoming US tour dates due to “the ongoing COVID situation”. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Jenny Lewis Lewis had been scheduled to undertake a nine-date run of shows in the US this September, as she’d announced back in May. Posting on Twitter today (August 13), representatives for Lewis said the decision had been made “out of an abundance of caution” for the ongoing pandemic, and asserted that she would not be performing “at any indoor venues for the remainder of the year”. Out of an abundance of caution due to the ongoing COVID situation, Jenny Lewis will not perform at any indoor venues for the remainder of the year. Therefore, it’s with great disappointment that the below indoor shows have been cancelled. 1/3 – JLHQ — jenny lewis (@jennylewis) August 12, 2022 Advertisement The thread continued to say that all of Lewis’ festival appearances would go ahead as scheduled, including those at Xponential, Sound On Sound and Wildwood Revival. A list of Lewis’ upcoming tour dates – including the shows that have been cancelled – can be found below. The artist’s last full body of work came in… Read More →

12AUGNews

Pale Waves’ Heather Baron-Gracie still carries “real guilt” over near-fatal bus accident

Pale Waves lead vocalist and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie opened up about the band’s near-fatal bus crash in this week’s NME Big Read cover story. READ MORE: Pale Waves: “We’ve become the most resilient band we know” Three of the four members of Pale Waves — Ciara Doran (drums), Hugo Silvani (guitar) and Charlie Woods (bass) as well as the band’s crew — were on the bus during the accident which took place in February of 2020. The four-piece had been supporting Halsey on her European arena tour, and were set to play at the Verti Music Hall in Berlin. The vehicle slid into a ditch while travelling between Sweden and Germany. Everyone on the bus escaped without severe physical injuries, but according to the recent interview, distressing images of that night still loom large. Advertisement Wary of the icy conditions at the time, Baron-Gracie chose to fly to the band’s next show in Germany instead of travelling on the bus. Speaking to NME, the singer and guitarist said she still carries “real guilt” about being away from her bandmates at the scene of the crash. “We have had to push ourselves to become mentally stronger, and I think that’s a… Read More →

12AUGNews

Wet Leg on hearing Harry Styles’ “beautiful” cover of ‘Wet Dream’: “It felt like we were in a parallel universe”

Wet Leg have spoken about the “really cool” experience of seeing Harry Styles cover their single ‘Wet Dream’. The pop star recorded a live version of the song in May as part of a special Live Lounge session on BBC Radio 1. It came after Wet Leg – aka Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers – were announced as the support act for Styles’ 2023 Australian/New Zealand tour. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Wet Leg: “I think there’s more authenticity to the music if you’re having fun” During a new interview with Apple Music 1, Teasdale recalled first hearing the ‘Harry’s House’ star’s spin on the track when the duo were in a splitter van on the way to a live show. Advertisement “We were just on our phones, doing a good scroll sesh, and then gradually, one by one, we were like, ‘Oh my God, have you seen this? Oh my God, this appeared on the internet, and it’s Harry Styles covering ‘Wet Dream”,” she remembered. “Hester always describes it as [being like] we were watching intergalactic television like on Rick and Morty. It felt like we were in a parallel universe. It was really cool. His band are… Read More →

12AUGHit Singles

The Foundations – Am I Groovin’ You – The Pye Anthology

One of the earliest, most noteworthy chart battles in the UK was fought between Bayswater-based The Foundations and their north London contemporaries The Equals, with both bands striving to be the first mixed-ethnicity outfit to make it to number one. The former’s debut release, “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You”, triumphed when it reached the top spot in November 1967, eight months before their rivals’ “Baby, Come Back” followed suit. ORDER NOW: Wilco are on the cover of the latest issue of Uncut The victors had been honing their craft in clubs and dancehalls for two years as The Ramongs and The Ramong Sound. A change of name brought success, but the template remained the same: upbeat soul with singalong, pop-minded aspirations, yet infused with the edgier, grittier elements of Booker T & The MG’s or the house band at Motown’s Hitsville power base. While The Foundations only troubled the Top 20 on four occasions, the commercial bounciness of their chart-topper, plus “Back On My Feet Again”, “Build Me Up Buttercup” – more of which later – and “In The Bad, Bad Old Days” only tells part of the story outlined on this 3CD anthology. They’re particularly in their element… Read More →

11AUGNews

Madonna holds Central Park roller disco to celebrate upcoming album release

Madonna held a roller disco last night (August 10) in New York City, in celebration of her upcoming compilation album, ‘Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones’. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Madonna: “People pick on me. That’s just the way it is” The album, which arrives next (August 19), was celebrated at DiscOasis Central Park in NYC. At the event, Madonna reunited with Nile Rogers and spoke about the time they made ‘Like A Virgin’ together. Questlove served as a DJ at the event, playing Madonna hits alongside disco classics all night, while fans danced and skated in Central Park. Advertisement Madonna and Nile Rogers at the event – CREDIT: RICARDO GOMES Madonna first announced the project back in May – a new compilation celebrating the singer’s record 50 chart-topping hits on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Madonna’s 2019 track ‘I Don’t Search I Find’, which featured on her ‘Madame X’ album, earned the artist her 50th Number One on the Dance Club Songs chart in the US back in February 2020 The achievement made Madonna the first and only artist with 50 number ones on any single Billboard chart. A press release said: “In addition to fan favourites,… Read More →

11AUGHit Singles

Leonard Cohen – Deluxe Ultimate Music Guide

Hallelujah! On the launch of a new documentary film and greatest hits collection, we celebrate the life and career of Leonard Cohen. From his bohemian 1960s all the way to his triumphant return to performance in the 2000s, he’s your man. “Dance me through the panic ’til I’m gathered safely in…” Buy a copy here!

11AUGNews

Shawn Mendes shares update after cancelling tour for mental health: “I’m taking a lot of time just doing therapy”

Shawn Mendes has given a brief update on his mental health, telling fans he’s “just taking it easy” after cancelling his world tour last month. READ MORE: Pop is Not A Dirty Word: Why I reckon Shawn Mendes is the Gen-Z Bruce Springsteen Early in July, Mendes postponed three weeks worth of shows in North America, citing a need to prioritise his mental health. In a personal statement shared on social media, he wrote: “I’ve been touring since I was 15 and to be honest it’s always been difficult to be on the road away from friends and family. “After a few years off the road, I felt like was ready to dive back in, but that decision was premature and unfortunately the toll of the road and the pressure has caught up to me and I’ve hit a breaking point. After speaking with my team and health professionals, I need to take some time to heal and take care of myself and my mental health, first and foremost. As soon as there are more updates I promise I will let you know.” Advertisement The Ontario singer-songwriter would later cancel the remainder of his ‘Wonder’ world tour – which was… Read More →

10AUGNews

Yeah Yeah Yeahs drop fiery dance floor ready single ‘Burning’

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have released a new single, ‘Burning’. Listen the dance floor ready track below. READ MORE: Yeah Yeah Yeahs live in Manchester – indie sleaze icons triumphantly kick off ‘Cool It Down’ era Produced by Andrew Wyatt and featuring lyrics and inspiration from The Four Seasons‘ track, ‘Beggin’, Karen O said the fiery track was also inspired by an actual inferno. “Back when I was 19 living in the east village, one night a roommate dragged me out of the apartment for an impromptu drink across the street, I left a votive candle burning on a plastic yaffa block which in my absence set flame to my room,” O said. Advertisement Karen continued: “Within an hour and a half of having one drink down the block firefighters had come and gone extinguishing the fire, I came home to find that a natural disaster had occurred (to my room) and most of my stuff, lost in the flames.” The songwriter also said that “all electronic goods were melted and demolished like my laptop, cameras etc.” before pointing out how odd it was that “items that held the most sentimental value remained intact like sketchbooks, a favourite sweater with hearts across… Read More →

10AUGNews

Mariah Carey pays tribute to Olivia Newton-John: “I was obsessed”

Mariah Carey has paid tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John. Following the news of the iconic singer and Grease star’s death at the age of 73, Carey took to social media to pay her respects, sharing images of the two of them performing together. READ MORE: Olivia Newton-John – 1948-2022: girl-next-door who lived her best life to the end “I first fell in love with Olivia’s voice when I was a little girl and heard ‘I Honestly Love You,’” Carey tweeted on Monday. “Songs like ‘Magic,’ ‘Suddenly’ and ‘Have You Never Been Mellow’ showcased her beautiful airy tone and signature sound. And THEN there was GREASE. I was obsessed.” Advertisement Carey went on to recall the time she performed with Newton-John during her tour Down Under in 2002. “I dressed up as Bad Sandy for Halloween in 5th grade and thought I was everything,” Carey wrote. “Years later, THE Olivia Newton-John walked out onto my stage in Melbourne, Australia and we sang our hearts out together to ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You.’ This is a moment I will never ever forget.” I dressed up as Bad Sandy for Halloween in 5th grade and thought I was everything. Years later, THE Olivia Newton-John… Read More →

10AUGNews

UNKLE share new track ‘The Way Back Home’ from ‘Rōnin II’ mixtape

UNKLE have shared a new track called ‘The Way Back Home’ – you can listen to it below. The song serves as the first taste of ‘Rōnin II’, the second instalment in a two-part mixtape project, which is due for release on August 31 (pre-order here). READ MORE: UNKLE: “There’s a lot of tension on the streets – we need clubbing to release that” “I recorded this over lockdown,” explained UNKLE’s James Lavelle in an official statement. Advertisement “I always intended the ‘Rōnin’ project to be two different mix tapes; the first being more like a club DJ set and the second as the post-club follow-up. This mix is a nod to the more soulful, laidback headspace of the Mo’ Wax days with a more contemporary electronica influence.” Lavelle joined forces with producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Miink on ‘Rōnin II’, having worked with him since 2015. They had recorded vocals together on the last two UNKLE albums. This time, however, Lavelle wanted to focus on his production skills, and experimented and re-visited some older tracks with Miink. “Reworking some of the existing music was a way of keeping sane and finding new ways of working during the pandemic when getting… Read More →

10AUGNews

Megan Thee Stallion shares funeral-themed teaser for ‘Traumazine’

Megan Thee Stallion has shared a new funeral-themed teaser clip for her anticipated new album ‘Traumazine’. The Houston rapper revealed last month that the follow-up to her November 2020 debut studio album ‘Good News’ had been completed, before subsequently dropping hints that the record will be titled ‘Traumazine’. READ MORE: Megan Thee Stallion: “I’m really working on my dynasty right now” After Megan told her Instagram followers earlier this week that her new album was “coming soon”, she’s now shared a short teaser clip that appears to be taken from a forthcoming music video. Advertisement In the clip, which you can watch below, Megan is seen approaching and then placing a black rose on a coffin during a funeral. The clip then cuts to Megan, now dressed in white, walking away from the service before she looks at the camera. The word ‘Traumazine’ then appears on-screen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Megan Thee Stallion (@theestallion) Last night (August 9) Megan shared a series of new images along with the following caption: “It took a lot of self reflecting to get to the point in my life where I am right now… “I ain’t saying I finally… Read More →

09AUGNews

Fetty Wap arrested after allegedly threatening murder over FaceTime

Fetty Wap has been arrested, having allegedly brandished a firearm and threatened to commit a felony over a FaceTime call. READ MORE: The story of SoundCloud rap in 15 seminal songs As reported by TMZ – who alleged to have viewed an arrest warrant – the rapper was arrested by FBI agents in New Jersey yesterday (August 8). The incident reportedly stems from a FaceTime call that Fetty (real name Willie Junior Maxwell II) made last December, wherein he allegedly waved a gun in front of the camera and threatened to kill a man who was on the other end of the call. The man in question has only been identified as “John Doe”, XXL reports, noting that an affidavit showed Maxwell called him “a rat” and repeated the phrase, “I’ma kill you and everybody you with.” Advertisement Maxwell was already in hot water after being arrested on a federal drug charge last October. He, along with five other men, were alleged to have “distributed more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey” between June 2019 and June 2020. He was arrested in New York City on October 28, and was… Read More →

09AUGNews

Beyoncé calls Madonna a “masterpiece genius” in thank you note for ‘Break My Soul’ remix

Beyoncé has thanked Madonna for allowing her to interpolate ‘Vogue’ in her ‘The Queens Remix‘ of ‘Break My Soul‘. READ MORE: Beyoncé – ‘Renaissance’ review: a celebration of love and Black joy The pop star sent a note and a bouquet of flowers to Madonna, which the latter shared to her Instagram Story earlier today (August 9). “Thank you, Queen,” Beyoncé wrote in the thank you letter, “I’m so grateful for you. You have opened so many doors for so many women. You are masterpiece genius.” The note continued: “Thank you for allowing me to sing in your song and thank you for naming the remix!!!! Love always and forever, B.” Advertisement Last week, Beyoncé shared the latest reworking of ‘Break My Soul’, the lead single from her seventh studio album ‘Renaissance‘. ‘Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)’ interpolates Madonna’s 1990 classic ‘Vogue’ and pays tribute to legendary Black female artists including Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, as well as iconic ballroom houses including the House of Aviance and the House of Xtravaganza. Beyoncé. Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Image It marked the fifth official remix for ‘Break My Soul’, riding hot on the heels of a four-track remix EP that Bey dropped last… Read More →

09AUGNews

Måneskin tease new ‘On The Road’ YouTube series

Måneskin have teased a new ‘On The Road’ YouTube series that will allow fans to see behind-the-scenes footage and backstage action from their tour shows and festival slots. READ MORE: Måneskin on “getting recognition” in the US and topping the charts with ‘Supermodel’ The Italian rockers announced yesterday (August 8) that the first episode of their new series will land tomorrow (August 10), and shared a short teaser in the process. “You wanted some behind the scenes? A little backstage? A tiny sneak peek? Now you get a full series ❤️ First episode of Måneskin On the Road, which follows our summer festivals touring, will be out on Aug 10th on YouTube,” they wrote on Twitter. “(Don’t sleep on this ‘cause you will laugh. A lot lot.),” they added. Advertisement The band still have Reading & Leeds Festival ahead of them as well as other festivals worldwide including Japan’s Summer Sonic and Brazil’s Rock In Rio. You wanted some behind the scenes? A little backstage? A tiny sneak peek? Now you get a full series ❤️First episode of Måneskin On the Road, which follows our summer festivals touring, will be out on Aug 10th on YouTube. (Don’t sleep on this… Read More →

09AUGNews

Idris Elba on how he “hustled” his way onto Jay-Z’s ‘American Gangster’ by writing a poem

Idris Elba has spoken about how he “hustled” his way onto Jay-Z’s 2007 album ‘American Gangster’. READ MORE: Mark, My Words: Respect to Idris Elba for not even knowing what Cats is about – I’d have taken the cash too The actor and musician was speaking to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon about his new film Beast when he recalled securing his way onto the rapper’s 10th album. He also discussed being featured on Paul McCartney’s 2021 album ‘McCartney III: Imagined‘. “Both these albums I’m on, and both those artists don’t know I’m on those albums,” Elba told host Fallon. “You know what I mean? I literally hustled my own on to those albums.” Advertisement He went on to explain that he was starring in the film American Gangster (as the character Tango) which Jay Z took inspiration from his record. “At the time I hear Jay was about to do an album associated with the film,” Elba said. “And I was like, ‘I need to get on that.’ As you do. You’re like, ‘I’m Idris, I need to be on that Jay-Z album.’ No idea why Jay would be like, ‘Yeah, sure, do it.’” Elba then told Fallon that… Read More →