One of the most iconic musical moments in cinematic history was a spur-of-the-moment freestyle, recorded for a demo for a movie that many thought would be overshadowed by a beautiful cartoon from Disney: Pocahontas. In 1994, though, The Lion King began with an animated sun rising against a crimson sky, …
Read More »Flashback: Original Byrds Lineup Reunites at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Byrds fans were dealt a disappointing bit of news yesterday when a representative for Roger McGuinn totally rebuffed David Crosby’s public offer to reunite the group. “Neither Roger or Chris [Hillman] entertain the idea of a Byrd’s reunion,” they wrote to Rolling Stone. “Roger was just tired of David crying …
Read More »'New York Post' Urges Trump to Ban Assault Weapons
After yet another weekend of horrific mass shootings in a country where gun violence has become numbingly routine, The New York Post has called for an assault weapons ban. The U.S. tabloid, owned by conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch, made its case on the cover of its Monday issue, writing …
Read More »Ariana Grande Returns to Acting in Jim Carrey's 'Kidding'
Ariana Grande will temporarily return to acting to make an appearance on Jim Carrey‘s Showtime seriesKidding. The singer also makes a brief cameo in the trailer for Kidding Season 2, which premieres November 3rd. Kidding stars Carrey as a children’s television host named Mr. Pickles, who struggles to juggle his …
Read More »'Dolly Parton's America' Podcast Coming in Fall 2019
East Tennessee native Dolly Parton is the focus of an upcoming podcast series by former Nashville resident Jad Abumrad, who co-hosts the popular public radio series Radiolab with Robert Krulwich. Titled Dolly Parton’s America, the nine-part series arrives this fall and looks at what Parton’s storybook life reveals about the …
Read More »A$AP Rocky Pleads Not Guilty to Assault Charges in Sweden
A$AP Rocky pleaded not guilty to assault charges in Sweden during his opening trial date in Stockholm, Sweden on Tuesday. The rapper and two other individuals, Bladimir Emilio Corniel and David Tyrone Rispers, have been charged with assault for allegedly throwing a man, 19-year-old Mustafa Jafari, across a street during …
Read More »California Just Passed a Landmark Law Protecting Sex Workers' Rights
When Kristen DiAngelo was younger and doing sex work, police officers would routinely do big sweeps of areas known to be frequented by sex workers. “Cops would roll up. They’d grab your purse and dump it out. They’d look at your arms for track marks. They’d look through your pockets,” …
Read More »Katy Perry's 'Dark Horse' Copied Christian Rapper Flame, Jury Finds
UPDATE 2 (10/11): Katy Perry, her collaborators and Capitol Records have appealed the previous July verdict that ruled that she improperly copied a beat from Marcus Gray aka Flame for her hit “Dark Horse.” Documents were filed in a California court on October 9th. UPDATE:A jury has found that Katy …
Read More »See Jim James and Janet Weiss Perform 'Rainbow Connection' With Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog made an unannounced appearance at the Newport Folk Festival, where he shared a rendition of his classic tune “Rainbow Connection.” The iconic muppet was backed by a band that included Janet Weiss on the drums and later invited My Morning Jacket singer Jim James onstage to duet …
Read More »Republicans Are Doing a Good Job Blocking Efforts to Fight Russian Meddling in 2020
Former special counsel Robert Mueller issued several reminders during his testimony before Congress on Wednesday. Russia wanted to put in Trump in the White House in 2016, he said, which we already knew. We also knew that Trump’s campaign welcomed this help, that Trump made concerted efforts to impede the …
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