Nicol Ostrc

The Strokes cancel tour date due to positive COVID-19 test

The Strokes have been forced to cancel or postpone some of their ongoing tour dates due to a positive COVID-19 test. READ MORE: The Strokes’ world-changing ‘Is This It’ at 20: “They had a ‘last gang in town’ mentality” In a statement posted to Instagram, The Strokes confirmed there had been a positive COVID-19 test in their camp and that their gigs tonight (May 28) and Monday (May 30) would be affected. They wrote: “Due to a positive Covid case in The Strokes, we must regretfully cancel tomorrow night’s appearance at Boston Calling. Advertisement “We are incredibly sorry and we will do our best to get back to Boston soon.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Julian Casablancas (@minorbutmajor) They have also postponed a concert they were meant to deliver on Monday May 30 in support of congressional candidate Kina Collins. The band were due to play an intimate gig in Chicago in support of Collins, who is running for Congress in the upcoming primaries, which take place on June 28, representing Illinois’ 7th District. For this gig, fans are being advised to hold on to tickets while they work towards rescheduling the date. Julian Casablancas of The… Read More →

28MAYNews

Watch Danielle Haim and Bruce Hornby’s new video for ‘Days Ahead’ video

Bruce Hornsby has enlisted the help of Danielle Haim on a new track – check out the video for ‘Days Ahead’ below. READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Haim: “I think women make the best rock music” The video was directed and filmed by Hornsby himself during the pandemic. It sees three dimensional printed characters who can be seen variously re-arranging furniture in a dolls-house, attempting to learn a new language and thinking about what to do next in their lives. It’s taken from Hornsby’s new album, ”Flicted’, which was released yesterday (May 27). Prior to that single release, the album was teased with lead single ‘Sidelines’, which featured Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig. Advertisement Check out the video for ‘Days Ahead’ here: Earlier this week (May 25), Drake shared a photo on his Instagram from his first time meeting LA sisters Haim. “Just met the Beatles,” he wrote in the caption alongside the black and white photo which shows the rapper with Este, Danielle and Alana Haim. Haim also shared the photo on their Instagram account, jokingly writing “We’re the Beatles” in their caption. The band are currently on their 2022 North American tour in support of their latest album ‘Women In Music… Read More →

27MAYNews

The National rehearsing “fresh” music before tour kicks off

The National have revealed that they’re working on new music during rehearsals for their upcoming tour. READ MORE: The National’s Matt Berninger on 10 years of ‘High Violet’: “We wanted to reach everybody” The band kick off their global tour next week with a pair of shows at Salle Pleyel in Paris, France on Monday (May 30) and Tuesday (May 31). They’ll then play a variety of festivals across Europe – including Spain’s Primavera Sound, Ireland’s Docklands Festival and Portugal’s Rock in Rio Lisboa – before heading home for a tour across North America. Advertisement In a new social media post, The National have shared a photo from tour rehearsals while teasing the arrival of some new music. “Rehearsals are underway,” the band wrote yesterday (May 26). “It’s great for the seven of us to finally be back together in a room working on music both fresh and familiar. Nos vemos en Pamplona.” Check out the post below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The National (@thenational) In March, The National‘s Bryce Dessner said that the Cincinnati band’s upcoming new album – the follow-up to 2019’s ‘I Am Easy To Find’ – harks back to their “classic” sound, as… Read More →

27MAYNews

Bop Shop: Songs From Rico Nasty, Oneus, Magnolia Park, Alex G, And More

The search for the ever-elusive “bop” is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new? Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn’t discriminate by genre and can include anything — it’s a snapshot of what’s on our minds and what sounds good. We’ll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business. Rico Nasty: “Intrusive” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xkoPYsD9DA Leave it to Rico Nasty to drop a song about intrusive thoughts that sounds beamed in from an alien planet where big beat reigns. Evoking The Prodigy in both the drum breaks and general fierceness, “Intrusive” is, fittingly, a total fire starter. When Rico exclaims, “I’m only here to smoke more blunts / And spit on racist cunts / Mom, if you hear this, I’m sorry,” you might just wanna go rage with her. —Patrick Hosken Magnolia Park ft. Derek Sanders: “Feel Something” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om458AUy_OQ Magnolia Park are unique talents with the ability to make dance-worthy… Read More →

24MAYNews

Krept of Krept & Konan announces new baby skincare range

Krept of UK rap duo Krept & Konan has launched a new baby skincare range. READ MORE: Krept & Konan live: a super-charged celebration with an all-star guest list Along with co-parent and health and beauty influencer Sasha Ellese Gilbert, Krept (real name Casyo Johnson) announced the launch of ‘Nala’s Baby’, a baby skincare range that’s described as having “99% naturally derived ingredients.” He’s he first rapper to launch such a product. A statement described the products as “accessibly priced, naturally derived and inclusive” and will launch in over 400 Boots stores on June 20. The statement continued: “It is one of the first British made skincare range for babies to be sold on the high street with a perfect zero rating on Think Dirty, an app dedicated to finding harmful chemicals and risks in personal care products.” We’re so excited for you and your family to try Nala’s Baby! ? The wait is almost over, less than 1 month to go until we launch! ?#NalasCubClub pic.twitter.com/lelUtqIU3i — Nala’s Baby®️ (@NalasBaby) May 23, 2022 Advertisement Gilbert added: “Nala’s Baby has been a passion project since I fell pregnant with our daughter Nala…I wanted our baby to have access to naturally derived, safe and effective… Read More →

24MAYNews

Jack Harlow on friendship with “daring, thoughtful” Pete Davidson

Jack Harlow has spoken about his friendship with Pete Davidson in a new mini-essay for Time magazine. READ MORE: Jack Harlow – ‘Come Home The Kids Miss You’ review: storytelling charm and filler tracks The rapper’s friendship with the comedian started on a FaceTime call, and over the past couple of years they’ve collaborated on a number of things including a Saturday Night Live sketch about NFTs. Davidson – who recently left SNL after seven seasons – has been named one of Time‘s 100 Most Influential People, and along with the accolade came praise from Harlow, who also walked readers down memory lane. Advertisement “My first introduction to Pete Davidson was a Comedy Central roast of Justin Bieber,” Harlow wrote. “I was a junior in high school at the time, and I had never seen or heard of him. He got to the mic, made a joke about his own dad dying during 9/11, and I immediately knew he was a different breed.” Going on to explain how he and Davidson met, the ‘First Class’ hitmaker recalled: “A couple years ago, I was on FaceTime with a girl who said she and her friend were with someone who wanted to meet me…. Read More →

24MAYNews

Only 13 per cent of UK festival headliners are female, study finds

A new study has found that just 13 per cent of headliners at the UK’s top festivals are female. READ MORE: Where are all the female headliners? Festival bookers, bands and fans weigh in on how to change the narrative BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat‘s key finding equates to only one in 10 headliners at leading 2022 UK music festivals being women, despite many events promising five years ago to achieve a ’50/50′ gender balance across their line-ups by this year. The new study focused on 50 of the biggest festivals, taken from a YouGov survey. Advertisement Out of 200 headline acts it found that 26 (13 per cent) were an all-female band or a solo artist; 149 (74.5 per cent) were either an all-male band or a solo artist; 24 (12 per cent) had a mixed line-up of male and female performers, and one (0.05 per cent) artist identified as non-binary. Billie Eilish will headline Glastonbury 2022. CREDIT: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images In 2017, two projects were launched with the aim of securing more female and female-identifying acts on stages. Festival Republic’s ReBalance and PRS’ KeyChange followed a previous BBC study that found that approximately 80 per cent of headliners were… Read More →

24MAYNews

New lawsuit accuses Travis Scott of inciting stampede at Rolling Loud 2019

Travis Scott is being sued for allegedly encouraging a stampede during his Rolling Loud Miami festival appearance in 2019. According to documents obtained by Rolling Stone, an amended complaint filed on May 10 by Marchelle Love accuses Scott of “verbally and physically [inciting] the crowd to engage in a mosh pit and other hazardous activities”. Scott’s alleged actions are claimed to have followed police orders to end his set “due to the crowd becoming dangerous and uncontrollable”. The rapper did end his performance, however, the claimant alleges that he continued to egg-on the crowd. Advertisement A representative for Scott denied the allegations to Rolling Stone. “This is another blatant, cynical attempt to attack Travis. As even the complaint makes clear, this incident was related to a false report of a shooting mid-show, completely unrelated to Travis’s performance… This cheap opportunism is based on a blatant lie that’s easy to detect.” In the lawsuit, it’s claimed that Scott’s alleged encouragements caused the crowd to panic and “multiple stampedes” continued. “Despite the fact that Travis Scott was aware of and could clearly see concertgoers being injured, suffocating, losing consciousness, fighting and being trampled, he continued his performance while authorities were forced to attempt… Read More →

23MAYNews

Conor Oberst reportedly walks off stage during Bright Eyes gig

Conor Oberst has reportedly walked off stage during a Bright Eyes gig. READ MORE: Bright Eyes: “I hope our music makes people feel less alone” According to reports from fans at the show (via Brooklyn Vegan), Oberst left the stage after just two songs during the band’s show at The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall yesterday (May 22). Jezebel Senior Reporter Caitlin Cruz, who was at the gig, added: “Bright Eyes played two songs. Conor Oberst walked off. And now the band is suggesting Bright Eyes karaoke with Bright Eyes for the crowd.” Advertisement In later tweets, Cruz said that the karaoke went on for a few songs before the venue cancelled the show and refunded tickets. The group are scheduled to play New Orleans’ Orpheum Theater tonight (May 23) and a New York show is scheduled for June 3. NME has reached out to representatives of Bright Eyes for comment. Bright Eyes played two songs. Conor Oberst walked off. And now the band is suggesting Bright Eyes karaoke with Bright Eyes for the crowd… — Caitlin Cruz (@caitlinrcruz) May 23, 2022 This is a disaster and I appreciate the attempt at triage but jesus pic.twitter.com/WIZDvXIs7C — Caitlin Cruz (@caitlinrcruz) May 23,… Read More →

23MAYNews

Belgium’s Rock Werchter Encore festival cancelled: “Consumer confidence is lost”

Belgium’s Rock Werchter Encore has been called off only one month after it was announced due to “high production costs, staff shortages, and low consumer confidence”. The 25,000-capacity one-off festival was due to take place on June 26 at Werchter’s Festivalpark, a few days ahead of its main event Rock Werchter, which is still set to continue. READ MORE: 20 festivals to look forward to in 2022 “The desire to experience festivals in all their glory again after two years of silence is great,” Herman Schueremans, who promotes the festival alongside Live Nation Belgium, said in a statement (per IQ). Advertisement “But there are a few dampers on the revelry. Consumer confidence is lost, the live entertainment sector is struggling with staff shortages, production costs are skyrocketing.” The majority of acts originally scheduled to perform at Rock Werchter Encore have now been integrated into sister festival TW Classic, which takes place on June 25. Florence + The Machine, The Kid Laroi, The Specials, and Sky Ferreira are among the acts that have joined the TW Classic bill. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Placebo, The Smile, Courtney Barnett, Sleaford Mods and Whispering Sons have already been announced for the festival. Florence… Read More →

23MAYNews

Cathal Coughlan, frontman with Microdisney and The Fatima Mansions, has died aged 61

Cathal Coughlan, frontman with acclaimed indie bands Fatima Mansions and Microdisney, has died, aged 61. His family announced the news, saying he “slipped away peacefully in hospital after a long illness”. The statement added: “It is with deep sadness that we have to inform you of the passing of Cathal Coughlan on 18th May 2022. “Cathal Coughlan first came to prominence as the singer and songwriter, alongside Sean O’Hagan, of their band, Microdisney. Formed in 1980 in Cork, Ireland, the duo relocated to London, became a five-piece, and recorded five albums for Rough Trade Records, first, and then Virgin Records. The enduring appeal of their music was joyously evident when the band returned for two reunion concerts at Dublin’s National Concert Hall and the Barbican in London in 2018. “After the end of Microdisney in 1988, Coughlan formed Fatima Mansions, an outfit that combined his love of abrasive near-industrial rock noise with a fondness of traditional folk music, and fiercely idiosyncratic lyrics full of striking imagery and mordant social and political comment. “There followed a series of albums released under his own name which brought to the fore a more experimental approach to song writing, and several collaborative efforts, including… Read More →

23MAYNews

Drake takes over Lil Baby festival set in Montreal for six-song set

Drake appeared on stage during Lil Baby‘s set at a Montreal festival at the weekend (May 21) – watch footage of the surprise appearance below. Lil Baby was performing in Canada as part of the Metro Metro festival, when Drake joined him on stage to play their collaboration ‘Wants and Needs’. As footage shows, Drake then remained on stage to play a number of tracks on his own including ‘Nonstop’, ‘Headlines’, ‘Girls Want Girls’, ‘Laugh Now Cry Later’ and more. Advertisement “I haven’t been to Montreal in like six fucking years,” Drake told the crowd. “And I’ve been waiting to get back here. “So I was wondering if you’d be so kind to let me repo this set for a second and do some songs for my peoples?” See footage from the set below. @partenzafilms Wants And Needs ? #lilbaby #montreal #mtl #4pf #ovo #drake #show #partenzafilms ♬ son original – SHAWN ??? The Montreal appearance is Drake’s second surprise guest slot of the month, having joined Dave onstage in his hometown of Toronto last week. Advertisement The south London rapper and musician performed at the History venue in Drake’s home city as part of his 2022 North American headline tour…. Read More →

17MAYNews

Yungblud announces self-titled third album: “Here is my story”

Yungblud has announced the release of his long-awaited third studio album, which he hopes fills his “beautiful family” with love. READ MORE: Yungblud: “I’ve got two new albums ready to go” The follow-up to 2020’s ‘Weird!’ is set to arrive on September 2, and according to the Doncaster rocker, he chose the title “because nothing in my life has ever made more sense”. “Everything up to this moment has been a complete explosion of uncensored expression, where I just told the truth and sang about what I felt in that exact moment,” Yungblud wrote on Instagram. “The difference here is that i have thought and felt this record so deeply. i went to a part of myself that I didn’t know was there. i studied it, i bathed in the emotion, tried to solve the equation and come up with an answer (at least for now) from love to pain, adoration to abandonment, laughter to betrayal.” Advertisement He continued: “My message is the same, it will always be; i will continue to be nothing but myself and encourage others to do the same. there is simply no other option. i hope it provides my beautiful family who have followed me throughout… Read More →

17MAYNews

John Legend urges “de-platforming” of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson in wake of Buffalo shooting

John Legend has called for Fox News’ Tucker Carlson to be “de-platformed”, accusing the presenter of espousing a racist theory that the Buffalo mass shooting suspect allegedly posted online. Payton S. Gendron, 18, is accused of carrying out what authorities have said was a racially-motivated attack at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York on Saturday (May 14) that left 10 people dead and three injured. Gendron, who is white, has pled not guilty to first-degree murder, Erie County DA John J. Flynn confirmed in a news release. In a pair of tweets posted yesterday (May 16), Legend made reference to the ‘Great Replacement Theory’ that Carlson has, according to a recent investigation by The New York Times, pushed in more than 400 of his shows on Fox News. Supporters of the ‘Great Replacement Theory’ have regularly blamed Democrats in the US for utilising immigration as a tool to enhance their voting base. It’s claimed that the Buffalo gunman posted a 180-page document to the anonymous message board 4chan repeating these views, as well as other white supremacist ideologies. Posting on Twitter, Legend, who also re-shared a viral compilation featuring various clips of Carlson discussing the ‘Great Replacement Theory’ on… Read More →

17MAYNews

Taylor Hawkins’ friends claim he was uncomfortable with Foo Fighters’ touring schedule before his death

Friends of the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins have claimed that he was uncomfortable with the intensity of the band’s touring schedule after the COVID-19 pandemic eased. READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show According to a number of friends, Hawkins allegedly expressed discomfort with the band’s tour schedule – saying that he was struggling to keep up with the physical demands of the job, which often required him to play three-hour concerts night after night. The drummer, 50, who was found dead in his Bogotá hotel room on March 25 ahead of a show that evening, is claimed to have spoken to Foos frontman Dave Grohl as well as several friends about his concerns. The report by Rolling Stone contains multiple denials by Foo Fighters’ representatives. The publication said that it repeatedly asked Hawkins’ family members and his bandmates for interviews to corroborate the claims, but Hawkins’ family declined to comment. Foo Fighters and their management also didn’t want to be interviewed. Taylor Hawkins (Picture: Alamy) The report alleges that prior to Foo Fighters’ post-pandemic comeback, which kicked off last June with vaccination-mandatory gigs in LA and New York’s Madison Square… Read More →

17MAYNews

P1Harmony and Pink Sweat$ announce new single ‘Gotta Get Back’

K-pop boyband P1Harmony and American singer-songwriter Pink Sweat$ are set to collaborate on the upcoming single, ‘Gotta Get Back’. READ MORE: P1Harmony reflect on their first year together: “Life hits you so fast” Yesterday (May 16), the boyband announced the upcoming digital single on Twitter, and also released the song’s pastel-coloured cover art. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Pink Sweat$ composed the forthcoming collaboration, while P1Harmony members Intak and Jongseob helped pen lyrics for the track. ‘Gotta Get Back’ drops on May 26. Pink Sweat$ X P1Harmony Digital Single [Gotta Get Back] ➕ ALBUM RELEASE 2022.05.26 6PM#PinkSweats #P1Harmony #피원하모니 #P1H #Gotta_Get_Back pic.twitter.com/OG8jN13xlD — P1Harmony official (@P1H_official) May 16, 2022 Advertisement The collaboration comes just three months after the boyband covered Pink Sweat$’s 2021 single ‘At My Worst’. The American singer has also previously shown support for the boyband, having attended the New York City show of their ‘P1ustage H : PEACE’ tour earlier this year. ‘Gotta Get Back’ will mark the P1Harmony’s first music release since they released the English version of ‘Do It Like This’ in March. The original Korean version of the track had been released in January as part of the group’s third mini-album ‘Disharmony: Find Out’…. Read More →

16MAYNews

UK Eurovision entry Sam Ryder announces 2022 London show

UK Eurovision entry Sam Ryder has announced details of a new 2022 London show. READ MORE: Eurovision 2022: Ukraine beats Sam Ryder into second at hope-filled pop bash Ryder came second during the weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, with Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra winning the event with a massive 631 points. It was the UK’s best performance result since 1997. Viral TikTok sensation Ryder went into the competition as the bookmakers second-favourite to win with his song ‘Space Man’. Advertisement He will now play brand-new London venue Outernet on November 24. Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday (May 20) at 9am here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Live Nation UK (@livenationuk) In Ukraine meanwhile, their win was said to bring “incredible happiness” to a country under invasion by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Instagram that the courage of the war torn country “impresses the world” and congratulated Kalush Orchestra on their victory. He then went on to promise to host Eurovision in the future in a “free, peaceful and rebuilt” Mariupol, a city currently largely under Russian control. At the end of their performance at the show’s finale, Kalush Orchestra said: “I ask all… Read More →

16MAYNews

Volodymyr Zelensky: “Next year Ukraine will host Eurovision”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken out to declare that the war-torn nation will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, following the victory of Kalush Orchestra this weekend. READ MORE: Eurovision 2022: Ukraine beats Sam Ryder into second at hope-filled pop bash Kalush Orchestra were the bookies’ favourites for Eurovision glory with their rousing folk-rap song ‘Stefania‘, before they went on to take the top spot by scoring a massive 631 points – largely from the public vote – to overhaul the UK, who were winning after the jury votes at the grand final in Turin. It is tradition for the winning nation of Eurovision to host the competition the following year. Due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine at the hands of Russia, much doubt has been cast over whether the country will be in a position to be able to do so. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has taken to social media to voice his hopes that the contest will be heading to his nation next May. “Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe!” he wrote in a Facebook post celebrating Ukraine’s win. “Next year Ukraine will host Eurovision! For the third time in its history,… Read More →

16MAYNews

Watch Megan Thee Stallion air ‘Plan B’ and ‘Sweetest Pie’ at Billboard Music Awards 2022

Megan Thee Stallion brought her latest single ‘Plan B’ and her Dua Lipa collaboration ‘Sweetest Pie’ to the Billboard Music Awards 2022 tonight (May 15). The annual awards ceremony is currently underway at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, hosted by Diddy. READ MORE: Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Good News’ review: Houston hottie exudes positivity in a difficult year After collecting the trophy for Top Rap Female Artist earlier in the night, Megan took to the stage to perform the pair of hits. She started the performance as the sole person on the platform, before being joined by dancers later in the short set. Advertisement Lipa was not present to join the rapper for the performance due to her ongoing ‘Future Nostalgia’ tour. Watch footage of Megan’s appearance below now. megan thee stallion bbmas sweetest pie pic.twitter.com/GJ8hdzPPby — ? (@luvmeliketht) May 16, 2022 The majority of the awards at the Billboard Music Awards 2022 were handed out during a pre-show livestream on TikTok. Going into the ceremony, Olivia Rodrigo and Kanye West lead the winners with six awards each. The Weeknd had the most nominations at the BBMAs 2022 with 17 nods, with Doja Cat following behind on 14. She has… Read More →

15MAYNews

The Weeknd takes home two awards on opening night of Juno Awards

The Weeknd continues his run of pop dominance, picking up a pair of awards on the opening night of this year’s Juno Awards. READ MORE: The Weeknd – ‘Dawn FM’ review: soulful star meets a new day with hope and hindsight More than 40 awards were handed out at last night’s (May 14) ceremony, held at Metro Toronto Convention Centre in the Ontario capital, which took place a day prior to tonight’s (May 15) main Juno Awards event. Among the early awards, The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) took home Songwriter of the Year for the third time and Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year for ‘Take My Breath’, taken from his most recent album, ‘Dawn FM’. Advertisement Another big winner was Charlotte Cardin, the Canadian pop, electro and jazz singer whose debut album ‘Phoenix’ was released last year and topped the Canadian Albums Chart for two consecutive weeks. Cardin bagged three awards – Artist of the Year, Single of the Year for ‘Meaningless’ and Pop Album of the Year for ‘Phoenix’. She’s the first female artist to win Artist of the Year since Serena Ryder eight years ago; she’s also the first female solo artist to win Single of the Year… Read More →

15MAYNews

Listen to Lucky Daye and Mark Ronson team up on smooth new single ‘Too Much’

New Orleans singer-songwriter Lucky Daye has linked up with producer Mark Ronson for a new collaborative single, sharing the smooth cut ‘Too Much’. Released on Friday (May 13), it marks the second time the pair have worked together, after collaborating in 2019 on ‘Fly’ from the soundtrack for animated film Spies In Disguise. On ‘Too Much’, the pair join forces again to create a harmonious blend of disco, soul and funk, courtesy of Ronson’s sumptuous production and Daye’s velvety vocals. Check it out below. Advertisement Speaking of the song in a press statement, Ronson said: “The song is definitely disco, but also sort of sexy and elegant and soulful.” “It’s all the things that I am aspiring to every time I want to create something that’s going to make people move, but that if you’re sitting listening at home, you can still get into the song and the performance. Lucky’s vocal and melody does all the work there. It’s just a sexy, sexy disco record,” he said. READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: Mark Ronson “In terms of the lyrics, I would say the theme is pretty much a party record, where you see someone who can’t really come… Read More →