Posts made in August 2020

Amazon Music [RE]DISCOVER × Bob Marley

Leave a reply

Yesterday, Amazon Music launched [RE]DISCOVER, a new global brand developed to support artist catalogs across all music genres. With Bob Marley as the first Artist of the Month, [RE]DISCOVER joins Island Records and Universal Music Enterprises in the year-long celebration of Marley’s 75th birthday and his importance in music history. The brand “showcases carefully curated artist playlists across various genres and takes listeners on a career-spanning journey of musical discovery, or re-discovery, through the featured artist’s entire body of work,” a press release reads.

Learn more about [RE]DISCOVER Bob Marley here.

“[RE]DISCOVER was inspired by what many music fans recognize as one of the great joys of the streaming era: our ability to discover or rediscover great music,” said Adam Block, head of catalog music for Amazon Music, “With [RE]DISCOVER, we’ve created a dedicated umbrella under which all catalog music and the stories that accompany them can be experienced. Whether you’re hearing Bob Marley for the first time, or being reminded of his music again, the reward of that experience is real. We’ve created a destination for catalog music that aims to engage both existing fans, and create next generations of them.”

As part of the launch, [RE]DISCOVER has created a Bob Marley artist store on Amazon.com, including links to stream and download his music; physical music selections, links to related films and books; and a collection of exclusive merchandise including clothing featuring intimate photos of Marley taken by David Burnett, from his published book titled Soul Rebel. Later this year, Amazon Music HD will exclusively stream Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers, in immersive 3D Audio on Amazon Music HD. Recording engineer Nick Rives created the immersive mixes at the legendary Capitol Studios, where Bob Marley & the Wailers rehearsed during their first American tour in 1973- for the first time, fans can listen to iconic songs like “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Exodus,” and “Is This Love” mixed in Dolby Atmos.

“My father’s music has moved and inspired legions of fans around the word, and we’re thrilled Amazon Music has developed a campaign that celebrates the rediscovery of his classics while introducing new favorites to the next generation,” said Cedella Marley. “Never has there been a more crucial time for the world to hear my father’s music and message.”

With Friday firmly established as new music release day for fans around the globe Amazon Music has established the first Tuesday of each month as its launch day for catalog music initiatives such as [RE]DISCOVER Artist of the Month, new editorial and marketing initiatives including short video features, and up to 20 new playlists. Among the first [RE]DISCOVER playlists customers can enjoy are [RE]DISCOVER Alanis Morissette, [RE]DISCOVER AC/DC, [RE]DISCOVER The Chicks, [RE]DISCOVER Drake, and many more.

Stream [RE]DISCOVER Bob Marley here.

Peter Manos Performance

Leave a reply

Peter Manos releases incredible live performance video, Do You Turn Red? (Short Film). Peter’s debut EP, Do You Turn Red?, was just released earlier this month to critical acclaim including The New York Times, Wonderland, FLAUNT Magazine and more. His debut single “In My Head” has 300+ million streams and was named a ‘Song You Need To Know’ by Rolling Stone.

The six songs were shot in different outdoor settings around Lancaster, CA – a town located 70 miles north of downtown Los Angeles in the Antelope Valley region of the western Mojave Desert. While bisected by a freeway, the area still abounds with rugged, open spaces. Over the decades, it has drawn a long succession of fearless dreamers – from Southern Pacific railroad workers to gold and borax miners to flight test pilots like Chuck Yaeger, Space Shuttle crews and solar energy pioneers.

Follow Peter Manos: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Violence Spikes in Major Cities

Leave a reply

By Eamonn Burke

Last month, 65 people were shot in New York City and 87 in Chicago over the course of the 4th of July weekend. Six children were killed that weekend as well. The holiday may have been a peak in homicides, but numbers of shootings and deaths have been trending upward as the nation handles a pandemic and a historic recession. The amount of shootings in NYC from January to July exceeded the total for the entire year of 2019. Other major cities are experiencing high rates of gun violence as well, such as Philadelphia, where more than 240 people have been killed this year and which now has the 2nd highest homicide rate in the nation. Chicago saw a violent July, with 584 shootings and 105 deaths. Even smaller cities like Pheonix and Omaha are seeing rises.

As a whole, homicides are up 24% in the nation since last year. Data shows homicides and shootings trending upward sharply since late May in major cities across the US. However, as a national study shows, gun violence was creeping upward even before the pandemic began.

President Trump blames the rise in violent crime to “radical” Democratic politicians , such as Major Bill DeBlasio, despite signs that this is a bipartisan issue. DeBlasio himself blames the shootings on the virus, among other factors such as the BLM protests and faults in the criminal justice system that have recently been exposed. The Council on Criminal Justice also concluded that the virus is the root issue, and that it must be stopped first in order to reduce homicides. A chart of homicides in Chicago does in fact show a major spike after the beginning of the protests, and the BLM protests in 2014 and 2015 had a similar effect on gun violence. However, further analysis of police data instead points to a decrease in gun-related arrests as a potential cause, as well as the increase in gun purchases in recent months.

Police say that many of these crimes are gang related, and a shortage of staff due to the virus have made it harder to crack down on crime. DeBlasio was adamant about getting back on top of the gun crisis through the courts: “Our courts not only need to reopen, they need to reopen as fully and as quickly as possible.” Chief administrative judge Lawrence Marks fired back, saying the blame of courts was “false, misleading and irresponsible.”

A strange finding amongst this gun crisis is that rates of other crimes such as burglaries have not followed the same trend, and have even decreased in some cases. As this is extremely odd, it’s possible that it’s a matter of what is getting reported given the complications of COVID-19 and the BLM protests on policing.

Hurricane During Pandemic

Leave a reply

By Mina Tocalini

Evacuations, power outages, flooding and devastation are expected from the c and rain that wreak havoc on coastal communities during hurricane season. Managing the damages and protecting communities is further challenged by the threat of COVID-19 as the Tropical Storm Isaias’ violent path continues up the East Coast.

Designated a tropical storm near Puerto Rico, Isaias began to travel northwest hitting the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Florida and North Carolina, where it was assessed as a Category 1 hurricane. As it persisted up the East Coast the intensity reverted back to a tropical storm. Regardless, Isaias has been accompanied by strong winds between 60mph – 70mph, over 20 reports of tornadoes, rampant flash flooding and over 3 million homes and business without power. In New Jersey and Delaware the wind gust reached speeds of 109mph and 96mph, respectively.

A report from USA Today, warns that recent 2020 hurricane season forecasting reveals 10 more hurricanes will likely follow, leaving Isaias as a practice run for a hurricane during a pandemic. With that in mind, evacuations needed to be addressed cautiously in consideration of social distancing and other COVID-19 preventative measures. The combination of COVID-19 and Isaias has heightened concerns for emergency services which face overwhelming demands. The COVID-19 consequences of Isaias remain undetermined, but a potential spike in infections could be in our future.

Federal Agents Move into Multiple US Cities

Leave a reply

By Emmet McGeown

On June 29, 4-year old LeGend Taliferro was killed by gunfire in Kansas City, Missouri. He had fallen asleep inside his pillow fort and at around 2am he was murdered in a targeted shooting of his apartment, according to the Kansas City Police Department.

Having been diagnosed with a heart defect shortly after birth, LeGend received his first open-heart surgery at just 4 months old. His mother, Charron Powell, said that her only child “has the heart of a lion” and was always excited to create awareness for conditions similar to his.

As a result of this horrific murder and spiking crime rates in St. Louis Attorney General, William Barr, announced “Operation LeGend” on July 8. This Justice Department initiative has directed agents from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and US Marshals Service to supplement local law enforcement agencies with the aim of cracking down on illegal gun trafficking and aiding ongoing homicide investigations.

In total, 225 federal agents were sent to Kansas City to help the 400 federal agents already located in the metro area. US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Tim Garrison, announced on July 31 that 97 arrests have been made by federal and local law enforcement since the launch of Operation LeGend. Five arrests were made for homicide, but other offenses cited were drug trafficking, robbery, and child molestation.

However, this has not been the extent of federal intervention in US cities. In a Fox News phone interview, the President stated “We’ll go into all of the cities, any of them. We’re ready.” Such a statement is emblematic of the President’s desire to make federal policing a key part of his Nixonian “law and order” campaign strategy. Undoubtedly, he is hoping to appeal to suburban voters worried about crime spilling into their neighborhoods from urban centers. The President also claimed that he was prepared to dispatch “50,000, 60,000 people” into American cities.

Trump has presented increasing crime rates in cities as a partisan issue whereby Democrat-run cities are the most dangerous places in the country largely due to their leadership’s political affiliation. Overall, out of the 50 largest cities in the US the homicide rate has increased by 25% in cities with Democratic mayors and by 15% in Republican-run cities revealing a decidedly bipartisan issue despite the President’s best efforts.

Operation LeGend’s coordinated law enforcement plan has now expanded into Chicago, Albuquerque, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee. Reasons for this move include a 54% increase in homicides in Chicago from last year, a 7% increase in Detroit’s violent crime compared to the previous year while each of Cleveland’s 5 police districts are coping with an increase in shootings of around 20%.

Such statistics reveal a problem in many US cities, yet the question remains as to whether this problem can or should be solved through federal intervention or whether this, being a local issue, should be remedied via local resources.

24kGoldn – Mood

Leave a reply

West Coast rapper/singer 24kGoldn has followed up with the video counterpart featuring himself and Iann Dior for their new song, “Mood.” In the fun new Sebastian Sdaigui directed music video, 24kGoldn and Iann Dior go back to back between vibrant scenes and melodic croons that help set the atmosphere.

“Mood” ft. Iann Dior follows Goldn’s previous singles “Unbelievable” ft. Kaash Paige and “City Of Angels,” which is featured on his Dropped Outta College EP. The eight tracks collectively demonstrate his breadth of talent and tells the story of his life as a budding artist and a college student at USC – exploring the emotions, relationships, and desires he felt at the time. Listen to Dropped Outta College in full HERE.

Troye Sivan – Rager Teenager

Leave a reply

Following the remarkable success of his new single, Easy, which amassed over 11 million combined global streams in the first week of release and now tops 20 million streams Troye Sivan has shared another new track, Rager teenager! Both songs will appear on his new six-song concept EP, In A Dream, which will be released on August 21 by Capitol Records. Troye filmed the video for Rager teenager! himself.

Easy appeared on 43 New Music Friday playlists after its release last month.
VULTURE said, “Easy is a pixelated cloud, a night drive to nowhere, a neon-blue bubble bath, a fizzy cola gummy.” Hailing it as one of the 10 songs you need in your life this week, The FADER praised Sivan’s laser focused intent to push into a more sophisticated, emotionally-torn pop realm. Billboard hailed Easy as a crying-on-the-dancefloor anthem [that] boasts a synth-heavy earworm melody and heartbreaking lyrics that will have you dancing and dreaming about your ex. Make no mistake, Easy is one of the best new songs of the week, declared IDOLATOR.

In A Dream is now available for pre-order HERE. Fans who pre-order the EP in digital format will instantly receive Rager teenager!plus Easy and the leadoff track, Take Yourself Home, which trended at #1 on Twitter worldwide following its release and has now attained over 76 million cumulative global streams. Visit https://TroyeSivan.lnk.to/Store for music bundles, including a deluxe CD package.

In his career to date, Troye has amassed over eight billion combined global streams. His sophomore album, Bloom (Capitol Records), was named as one of the best albums of 2018 by critics at Rolling Stone, USA Today, Billboard, OUT, NPR Music, The Guardian and numerous other publications. TIME said, Troye Sivan is the perfect pop star. He was recently named as one of five ambassadors to launch the Pasha de Cartier watch.

His numerous awards include a Billboard Music Awards trophy, three MTV Europe Music awards and two GLAAD Media wins. Revelation, his collaboration with Jnsi for the film Boy Erased, which Troye co-starred in was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song Motion Picture and shortlisted for an Oscar. Louder Than Bombs, a track Troye co-wrote, is featured on the new BTS album, Map of The Soul: 7, which debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., Korea, Australia and around the world.

Marvel – EMPYRE #4

Leave a reply

As the intergalactic conflict known as EMPYRE rages on, love has prevailed for two of Marvel’s most beloved heroes! In an exciting surprise for readers everywhere at the conclusion of today’s EMPYRE #4, Marvel Comics unveiled that Teddy Altman, the Kree/Skrull hybrid Hulkling, and his longtime boyfriend Billy Kaplan, the powerful magic-wielding Wiccan, made a decision to change their lives forever – when they were married prior to the start of this galaxy-spanning epic!

“I’ve got a lot of love for Hulkling and Wiccan, both individually and as a couple,” Empyre writer Al Ewing said. “So it’s a good feeling to be able to deliver this kind of ‘shock ending’ for readers, which hopefully lifts fans’ spirits a little rather than bringing them down.”

Earlier this year, Hulkling, the son of a Skrull Princess and the original Captain Marvel, fulfilled his destiny by uniting the Kree and Skrull empires against the universal threat of the Cotati. As Emperor of the new Kree/Skrull alliance, the Young Avenger takes center stage in this summer’s EMPYRE saga alongside Wiccan and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, Hulkling and Wiccan burst onto the scene in 2005’s groundbreaking Young Avengers series. Since then, the two have been major players in the Marvel Universe and in iconic titles such as Avengers: Children’s Crusade, New Avengers, and Strikeforce.

“When I was first asked to design Wiccan and Hulkling for the Young Avengers, I had no inkling of the longevity they would have or even their impact on the hearts and minds of the readers,” said Cheung. “Billy and Teddy really became fully fleshed people to me, thanks to Allan’s incredible writing, and it’s been wonderfully rewarding to follow their growth and evolution under the guidance of other creators over the years. Now that they’re taking their relationship to the next level, I can’t wait to watch where their next adventure takes them!”

“I’m eternally grateful to writers Al Ewing and Dan Slott, artists Valerio Schiti and Marte Gracia, editor Tom Brevoort, — and of course cover artist Jim Cheung — for telling Teddy’s story so gorgeously — on such an epic scale — and with so much heart,” said Heinberg. “AND for inviting me and Jim to the wedding!”

Hulkling and Wiccan’s story continues in EMPYRE #5 next week and EMPYRE: AVENGERS AFTERMATH #1 this September!

New Single – Impact

Leave a reply

Today sees London-born songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist SG Lewis link up with legendary artists Robyn and Channel Tres for his brand new single ‘Impact’, out now via Republic Records in North America. ‘Impact’ premiered last night as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record on BBC Radio 1 in the U.K and is a summer smash in waiting, with an addictive club-ready groove and mesmerizing vocals from both Robyn and Channel Tres.

Listen to Impact HERE.

“Impact is possibly my favorite record I’ve ever been a part of” says SG Lewis: “The chemistry between Channel and Robyn is so powerful, and creates something so unique. Channel is an artist I believe will go on to create a musical legacy as important as the one Robyn has already created, and to have the two of them on this record together is insane. Working with my good friend TEED again on the production is amazing, as he is truly a production hero of mine. I hope it provides some release and euphoria in a time where it’s hard to come by.”

“Impact is about how someone can come into your life and completely change you either for better or worse.” says Channel Tres; “In this instance it was for the better and I’m going through the emotions of denying something that’s obviously good for me but the hurt I’ve been through in my past causes me to put up defense mechanisms. While I’m putting up the defenses, the person trying to love me pursues me consistently and this impacts my life in so many ways.”

Of the track, Robyn adds: “Sam made this instant thing, it´s a special skill to make a song that hits you right away the way Impact does. The track just gave me the feels and it wasn´t hard to write a chorus to it, especially with Channels vocals on there already. Channel Tres came on tour with us last year so I know how strong he is on stage and hopefully some time in the future we will get to be on stage together, with Sam, performing this song.”

‘Impact’ follows ‘Chemicals’ as the second single to be taken from SG Lewis’ yet-to-be-announced debut album, due later this year. ‘Chemicals’ saw SG taking center stage on vocals as well as production, accumulating over 12 million streams since release. The two singles follow the three-chapter concept EP Dusk, Dark, Dawn, with collaborators including Clairo, T.E.E.D., AlunaGeorge and Ruel. The project serves as a tribute to club and youth culture and chronicles the trajectory of a night out through its different moods and genres, having now broken past 200 million streams. While Dusk (early 2018) blends disco, smooth electro and funk and Dark (late 2018) explores distinctly heavier yet still diverse sounds, Dawn (2019) is a sonic embodiment of those euphoric sunrise moments and the feeling of togetherness at the end of a night well spent.

2019 also saw SG Lewis sell-out headline shows across North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe as well as playing prime slots at Coachella and Glastonbury, cementing his status as not just one of London’s hottest new talents but also a formidable artist capable of making a splash on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.

SG has recently collaborated with Aluna, Victoria Monet, Raye, Ray BLK, The Neptunes/N.E.R.D’s Chad Hugo, Gerd Janson, Conducta and more as well as producing ‘Hallucinate’ on Dua Lipa’s record-smashing album Future Nostalgia and Dave’s ‘100M’s’, proving his worth as one of the most respected and prolific musicians from the UK. SG’s ever-growing catalog both as a collaborator and with his solo tracks showcases his abilities as a producer capable of working beyond the limits of genre and style.

‘Impact’ (Feat. Robyn and Channel Tres) is out everywhere now.

Rhys Kelly’s New Installation

Leave a reply

Rhys Kelly Bio

Born and raised in South Florida – Rhys gravitated toward finding beauty in the unexpected — often creating jewelry and art from things she found in nature.

While attending a small art school in Monessen, Pennsylvania, Rhys Kelly took a course on painting eyes and teeth for creatures that the students sculpted. From that class, Rhys noticed how much detail went into painting one eye – and how no two eyes are the same. This was a perfect representation for what Rhys always knew to be true: The eye represents perspective, uniqueness and individualism.

After school, Rhys started gifting the eye jewelry to friends and family, it gained attention from people beyond her inner circle and she started selling pieces in 2017, thus bringing the Rhys Kelly brand to life. Rhys’s collection of handcrafted pendants, rings and bracelets are timeless one of a kind pieces — each designed around the human eye. The eye has, for all of human existence (and probably beyond) been a symbol of power, protection, knowledge, good, evil and much more. What’s remained consistent is the fact that no two eyes are the exact same.

Rhys’s “What’s Your Perspective,” is a body of work comprising pieces of art and jewelry centered around the human eye. The collection is meant to inspire, fascinate and celebrate the unique perspective of every person. For Kelly’s art installation she casts eye forms using acrylic and acrylic paint, first pouring the acrylic into a mold and then painting. Her jewelry is handmade of precious metals including silver, gold and both semi-precious and precious gemstones. She most recently released her “Drippy Eye” installation – which is a large standing installation. Prices for Kelly’s work start at $195 for jewelry and range from $500 to $5,000 for art.

Rhys is now 24 years old and currently resides in Los Angeles where she continues to expand her following and create her artwork.