SPIRITS

BLONDIE

In what has become another major year for Blondie, the New York legends mark a career milestone with the release of the first-ever authorized and in-depth archive in their history, a rarity for a band almost 50 years into their career with 40 million records sold. Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 will be released on August 26th via UMe and The Numero Group and is available to pre-order now.

See the unboxing of the Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition HERE, and listen to Blondie’s previously unreleased recording of Moonlight Drive, out today.

Remastered from the original analog tapes and cut at Abbey Road Studios, this expansive box set is available in four formats (Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition, Deluxe 4LP, Deluxe 8CD, and 3CD editions). Housed in a foil-wrapped carton, Against The Odds includes extensive liner notes by Erin Osmon, track by track commentary from Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante, and Gary Valentine, essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer, and Ken Shipley, a 120-page illustrated discography, and hundreds of period photographs.

Blondie has transcended the realms of mere bands, evolving out of pop and punk to become a vital strand of American music’s core DNA. What the seven members of Blondie, made up of iconic frontwoman/songwriter Debbie Harry, guitarist/conceptual mastermind Chris Stein, powerhouse drummer Clem Burke, keyboardist Jimmy Destri, bassist Gary Valentine, guitarist Frank Infante, and bassist Nigel Harrison, set to tape over those first eight years remains among the most timeless music of its era.

This archive box set—the first band-authorized collection in their 50-year history—is a collective moment to celebrate their legacy and be immersed into Blondie’s genre-bending sonic universe, including their first six studio albums recorded for Chrysalis; Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat To The Beat, Autoamerican, The Hunter, and in turn their catalogue of era-defining hits Heart Of Glass, Atomic, Tide Is High, Sunday Girl, Rapture, and Call Me. These six groundbreaking albums have been expanded to include over four dozen demos (including the group’s first-ever recording session), alternate versions, and studio outtakes, creating a near-complete document of Blondie’s studio sessions before their 1982 hiatus.

Debbie Harry said, “It really is a treat to see how far we have come when I listen to these early attempts to capture our ideas on relatively primitive equipment. Fortunately, the essence of being in a band in the early 70s held some of the anti-social, counter-culture energies of the groups that were the influencers of the 60s. I am excited about this special collection. When I listen to these old tracks, it puts me there like I am a time traveler. As bad as it was sometimes, it was also equally as good. No regrets. More music.”

“I am hopeful that this project will provide a glimpse into the ‘process’ and some of the journey that the songs took from idea to final form,” guitarist Chris Stein said. “Some of this stuff is like early sketches; the old tape machines are like primitive notebooks. The trickiest thing for me was always about getting the melodies out of my head into reality and the changes that would happen along the way.”

“It is amazing that after all this time, and against the odds, our Blondie archival box set will finally be released. It’s been a long time coming and we are all very happy and excited with the final results,” drummer Clem Burke added.

“From the moment I walked into Chris Stein’s barn and saw a wall of tapes I knew we were on the precipice of something extraordinary,” producer Ken Shipley said. “Against The Odds is a treasure chest disguised as a box set.”

”Blondie is a group of extraordinary artists,” producer Steve Rosenthal said. “Years of searching, months of mixing, mastering and restoration, days of decisions went into this box set to highlight the unique path they traveled —from CBGBs to MSG.”

Against The Odds has an unusual beginning; for nearly two decades, the bulk of Blondie’s audio and visual archive sat inside Chris Stein’s unassuming barn just outside Woodstock, New York. One hundred reel-to-reel tapes, half a dozen cassettes, a few storage tubs crammed with records, bits of promotional flotsam, flyers, a stray Warhol print, and mirrored dressing room signage from four sold-out January 1980 nights at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. All of it lay in wait through twenty humid summers and twenty frigid winters.

From this chaotic hoard of ephemera, the long-gestating Against The Odds project was born, serving now as a new map of musical history.

Undeniably one of the most trailblazing and influential bands of our time, Blondie is pioneering frontwoman/songwriter Debbie Harry, guitarist/conceptual mastermind Chris Stein and powerhouse drummer Clem Burke, along with now long-standing bandmates bassist Leigh Foxx, guitarist Tommy Kessler, and keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen.

Among their hits is the groundbreaking rock-disco hybrid Heart of Glass the equally influential hip-hop fantasia Rapture the stalker-love song One Way Or Another and the lilting calypso The tide Is High. It’s a thrilling journey back to when Blondie pushed punk onto the dance floor and introduced a wider audience to hip-hop sounds, all the while building a catalogue of enduring hits along the way.

For the last four decades, Blondie has become and still remains a true global icon; one whose influence both shaped and continues to inform the worlds of music, fashion, and art. From an irreverent Lower East Side punk outfit to bona fide international ambassadors of New York cool, Blondie will forever be synonymous with that punk spirit that lives somewhere in all of us. Their chart-topping success, fearless spirit, and rare longevity led to an induction into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 and more than 40 million albums sold worldwide to date. As we look back at the band’s storied career, it makes Blondie’s current vibrancy that much more stunning after 40 years of entertaining all of us.

Pre-Order Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 HERE.

TMR x REEBOK

Reebok and Japanese fashion label Mountain Research have unveiled the next piece from their growing line of collaborative releases: The Mountain Research x Reebok Club C II Mid (GX9046, $140), available June 17.

“As the classic tennis shoe, I’ve wanted to work on Club C for some time,” commented Mountain Research founder, Setsumasa Kobayashi. “It also reminds me of ‘80s hip hop scenes where everyone wore white sneakers, which I always loved.”

The Mountain Research x Reebok Club II Mid is subtle and practical, drawing inspiration from ‘80s tennis club attire, heritage Club C elements, and cricket footwear.

“The idea was to create something basic yet decorative,” continued Kobayashi. “The minimalistic look is meant to correspond to the strict tennis club dress codes of the era.”

Most notably, the outer tongue features a removable lace guard or “bonnet” that mimics Club C’s original perforated foam tongue and classic cricket footwear protectors called “pats”.

Constructed with white leather and cobalt blue accents, the mid-cut Club C features vintage branding elements, an interior arch bandage with repeating print, and a fold-over tongue label with Mountain Research graphics.

Mountain Research and Reebok first collaborated in spring 2020 on Reebok’s retro-future DMX Trail Shadow. The brands would come together for a second time later that year and once again in spring 2022 via Reebok’s iconic Alien Stomper model.

The Mountain Research x Reebok Club C II Mid (GX9046, $140) is available June 10 from Mountain Research (MOUNTAIN RESEARCH (sett.co.jp) and June 17 from, Reebok., and select retailers.

Founded in 1993 by Setsumasa Kobayashi and originally named General Research, the brand was eventually renamed Mountain Research to better reflect Kobayashi’s love for the outdoors. Utilitarian and functional at heart, each season sees Kobayashi and his team retreat to the woods to envision a novel direction that traditionally takes cues from a wide variety of inspirations. In his collection he highlights anything practical – it might be horse blankets, camping cookware, or fishing vests. Collections take inspiration from nature, but also military clothing, workwear, and mountain climbing gear.

Reebok Design Group (RDG) is the global brand hub of design, development, innovation, marketing, and creative services for Reebok footwear and apparel. As the central source of the brand’s creative vision, RDG provides ongoing support and expertise to Reebok’s network of strategic partners around the world. RDG champions Reebok’s storied heritage, ethos, and DNA to authentically deliver a unified brand directive and consumer experience globally. A division of SPARC Group, RDG is headquartered in Boston, MA. For more information, visit Reebok.

Discover Reebok on Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.

BK – SIEMPRE SOLO

Panamanian producer BK launches his new single “Siempre Solo” together with fellow Panamanian artist Barbel.

This song was produced by BK and written by Barbel, who came together to give life to this theme that talks about the life of someone on the street who prefers to be alone than “roll together.”

BK’s most recent singles are “Sugar mami” with Dubosky and T.O.T, followed by “Aló Aló” with Italian Somalí and “Cobarde” with Izaak and Eddy Lover.

More about BK:

Johnny López, better known as BK Música, is a music producer and publicist born in Panama, with an artistic career since 2009 and many hits in between, such as “La luz” by Sech feat J Balvin, “Las Nenas” by Natti Natasha, “Feeling” by Dalex, among others.

Additionally, he has worked with Panamanian artists such as Kafú Bantón, Dubosky, El Roockie, Eddy Lover, Joey Montana, Sech and many more.

VAMOS PARA ARRIBA – JUNIOR H

After the previous releases achieving more than four million views for 3 consecutive weeks on the Spotify and YouTube, Junior H presents in the company of Gabito Ballesteros, along with his new song Vamos Para Arriba.

Released under the Rancho Humilde label, Vamos Para Arriba was recorded with a live band in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora. In this song, Junior H and Gabito Ballesteros agree on their taste for traditional Mexican music, as well as on the strength and quality of interpretation that both have for the genre. This release occurs a week after having presented El Plumas, which already reports more than 215 thousand reproductions only on the Spotify platform and of which a video is being considered soon.

Last week Junior H, one of the main voices of the Rancho Humilde label, had reached the resounding number of 100 million views on the Spotify platform for his most recent album entitled Mi Vida En Un Cigarro Vol.2. Today, the 21 songs on this album accumulate 10 million more views. It positions itself as one of the most important albums of the urban Mexican music genre so far in 2022.

Fast approaching 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Junior H is unquestionably one of the most successful artists in 2022 in the urban Mexican music genre and Latin music in general.

NYBG – ATT

The New York Botanical Garden‘s major, institution-wide exhibition Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love examines the art and science of foodways and food traditions, many dating back thousands of years. Visitors can explore the rich cultural history of what we eat and learn that – from global dietary staples such as rice, beans, squash, and corn to the regional spice and flavor provided by peppers, greens, and tomatoes – plants are at the base of all culinary customs. The presentation features expansive displays of living edible plants; art and science installations; weekend celebrations; wellness, culinary-themed, and children’s programming; and opportunities to gather at artist-designed tables set throughout NYBG’s 250 acres, bringing to life stories about the featured and other notable edible plants. Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love is on view June 4 through September 11, 2022.

“We are thrilled and gratified to be able to present Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love,” said Jennifer Bernstein, CEO and The William C. Steere Sr. President of The New York Botanical Garden, “The creation of this exhibition has truly been a collaborative and communal experience and a labor of love. We hope everyone will visit the Botanical Garden this summer and take a little time to uncover the botanical origins of the foods they think they already know, cultivate deeper understanding of the environmental and social impacts of our food choices, and discover the diversity and beauty of plants that are grown for cuisine around the world.”

Displays of Living Edible Plants at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory

Showcasing hundreds of varieties of edible plants, including peppers, squash, cabbage, beans, grains, corn, banana, sugarcane, taro, and breadfruit, three installations in and around the Haupt Conservatory beckon visitors to explore the diversity and beauty of food plants grown around the world.

In the Conservatory’s Seasonal Exhibition Galleries, a wide assortment of edible herbaceous plants and fruit-bearing trees flourishing in containers, entwined in overhead trellises, and reaching skyward from green walls ideal for compact urban spaces inspire appreciation of the plants that nourish us.

The Conservatory Courtyards offer an array of familiar and surprising edible plants from across the globe – from dietary staples of the tropical regions of the world, including rice, taro, and banana, to crops suited to arid regions of the globe, including figs, citrus, and pearl millet. Peppers and tomatoes and other nightshades, grapes and olives, a gourd trellis, and a spirits garden featuring plants used in the creation of beer, wine, and liquors round out this diverse display.

A portion of the Botanical Garden’s Conservatory Lawn is transformed into an undulating field of dwarf sorghum and barley, traditional grains well-suited to NYBGߣs climate, allowing observation of the sowing, nurturing, harvesting, and replanting processes of these foundational food plants over the course of the exhibition.

African American Garden at the Edible Academy

Curated by Dr. Jessica B. Harris, America’s leading scholar on the foods of the African Diaspora, African American Garden: Remembrance & Resilience celebrates African American food and gardening histories and the contributions of essential plants to American foodways. Dr. Harris has worked with historians, heritage seed collectors, and NYBG’s Edible Academy staff to present a sequence of eight garden beds arranged in a semi-circle that celebrate African American food and gardening histories and their ongoing contributions to America’s plant and food culture. The experience also includes an orientation center, shaded seating areas, and a Hibiscus Drink Station designed by scenic designer Lawrence E. Moten III, whose include Broadway’s Chicken & Biscuits. The African American Garden also features a Poetry Walk curated by Cave Canem Foundation, the premier home for Black poetry, committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of African American poets.

Art and Science Installations Throughout the Garden

After a call for artists that resulted in many impressive submissions, The New York Botanical Garden selected 30 local artists, living or working in the Bronx, to design and create tables that explore central themes from Around the Table. On display across the Botanical Garden’s 250 acres, the artist-designed tables incorporate notable food plants, highlighting the plants’ history and cultural significance as well personal stories of food traditions and celebrations. The tables and accompanying interpretation encourage sitting, sharing, and storytelling. Visitors are prompted to learn more via the Bloomberg Connects mobile application, and at select tables, to create artworks or tell their own food stories.

In the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building Art Gallery, visitors can examine the social and cultural impacts of the American food system through displayed works by contemporary Colombian-American artist Lina Puerta in Lina Puerta: Accumulated Wisdom. Puerta celebrates and acknowledges the essential, often invisible, role of farmworkers, the relationship between nature and the human-made, and ancestral knowledge in mixed-media sculptures, installations, collages, hand-made paper paintings, and wall hangings that incorporate materials ranging from textiles and handmade paper to found, personal, and recycled objects.

Launched in 2021, NYBG’s Bronx Foodways Oral Histories Project is a multiyear effort to collect, record, and archive personal food narratives from Bronx urban farmers and gardeners who focus on community gardens as centers for food, heritage, community, and social justice – making them accessible to the public. Each year, The New York Botanical Garden commissions two public murals celebrating the gardens and farmers from the Oral Histories Project. As part of the Around the Table exhibition, celebrated Bronx-based artist Andr Trenier is creating the initial murals. In NYBG’s Arthur and Janet Ross Gallery, . . .la tierra es nuestro alimento/the land is our nourishment presents oral history videos and photos of Bronx gardens taken by students from the Bronx Documentary Center as well as highlights Trenier’s murals.

Also in the Mertz Library Building, the creativity and ingenuity of plant scientists and plant-based chefs is exhibited, revealing the science and art of agriculture and cuisine. In Sowing Resilience: Origins and Change in Agriculture in the Elizabeth Britton Science Gallery, visitors learn how scientific knowledge from both ancient and recent pasts’ traditional and Indigenous methods of agriculture to new genetic technologies’ can provide insight into creating a more resilient food system to feed the growing planet in the face of the climate crisis and other environmental challenges. The work of NYBG scientists and others highlights how far domesticated plants have come from their origins and the importance of conserving crop biodiversity into the future. In the Rondina and LoFaro Gallery, Steam, Sear, Saut: 150 Years of American Vegetarian Cookbooks showcases 19th- and 20th-century plant-based cookbooks from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library‘s William R. Buck Cookbook Collection, as well as colorfully illustrated seed catalogs, to highlight the ways home chefs’ relationships to vegetables have changed through time. Recipe Roundtable in the Nathaniel Lord Britton Science Rotunda offers visitors an interactive opportunity to connect with Around the Table exhibition content by responding to various prompts calling for drawings of favorite veggies to reflections on culturally significant plants and ingredients to be recorded on recipe cards, which are then displayed throughout the Rotunda.

Bountiful Programming for All Ages

Visitors to Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love can enjoy diverse and engaging public programming for all ages. Highlights include artist-designed table tours, food demonstrations, children’s activities, themed weekend celebrations, and more.

On Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m.ߝ12p.m., a symposium, A Seat at the Table, includes two compelling sessions exploring how Black farming informs American history and culture in New York City and across the country:

In “Celebrating the African American Farmer,” Natalie Baszile, author of the 2021 anthology We Are Each Other’s Harvest, joins Dr. Jessica B. Harris, food historian and scholar, for a conversation in Ross Hall. Their wide-ranging dialogue covers topics from the historical perseverance and resilience of Black farmers and their connection to the American land, to the generations of farmers who continue to farm despite systemic discrimination and land loss.

“Stories from the Farm,” moderated by farmer, urban gardener, food advocate, activist, and NYBG Trustee Karen Washington, is a multigenerational panel discussion devoted to stories of Black farmers from many historical perspectives: North and South, Upstate New York and the Bronx, sharecroppers to family growers and urban farmers. Panelists including “chefarmer” Matthew Raiford and farmer/cultural anthropologist Dr. Gail Myers give historical and contemporary context for Black farmers’ contributions to communities and food justice movements in urban and rural America.

Each week during Around the Table, Wellness Wednesdays serves up the NYBG Farmers Market, food demonstrations, and health and wellness activities.

Offerings at the Edible Academy include food demonstrations and tastings, participatory gardening activities, , and food-themed celebration weekends such as Totally Tomatoes throughout the run of the exhibition.

In “Around the Kids’ Table,” guided by Everett Children’s Adventure Garden Explainers, children and their families tell stories about the foods that are most meaningful to them and enjoy exhibition-related writing, art, and nature-based activities. A Story Walk showcases author Tony Hillery’s children’s book Harlem Grown (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2020), about a community garden started by schoolchildren in an empty lot in Harlem, New York, in 2011 that has grown into a network of gardens throughout the city.

On select days, complementary exhibition programming includes “The Art of the Table,” during which individual table artists engage with visitors in special activities such as demonstrations, group painting, or storytelling.

About the Exhibition Advisory Committee

The New York Botanical Garden engaged advisors with expertise in documenting recipes and food histories, edible gardening past and present, food justice and food insecurity, global and local foodways, nutrition, the science of edible plants, and the visual arts to join a committee and participate in the development of Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love. Members include:

Toby Adams, Gregory Long Director of the Edible Academy, The New York Botanical Garden
Journei Manzayila Bimwala, leader and co-chair, Foodway at Concrete Plant Park
Garrett Broad, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communications and Media Studies, Fordham University, and author of More Than Just Food: Food Justice and Community Change (University of California Press, 2016)
Kate Gardner Burt, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor, DPD Director, and Undergraduate Program Director, the Dietetics, Foods, and Nutrition Program at Lehman College, City University of New York
Ursula Chanse, Director of Bronx Green-Up and Community Horticulture, The New York Botanical Garden
Winston Chiu, chef and co-founder, Rethink Food NYC, Inc.
Von Diaz, documentary producer, author of Coconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South (University Press of Florida, 2018), and recipe and essay contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Eater, and Epicurious
Sheryll Durrant, urban farmer, educator, and food justice advocate; Food and Agriculture Coordinator for New Roots Community Farm, and resident manager of Kelly Street Garden in the South Bronx
Jessica B. Harris, Ph.D., Americaߣs leading expert on the food and foodways of the African Diaspora, author of 12 critically acclaimed cookbooks, and 2020 James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
Mohammed Mardah, chairman, the African Advisory Council to the Bronx Borough President, and co-founder and executive director of Africans Help Desk
Alex McAlvay, Ph.D., Kate E. Tode Assistant Curator in the Institute of Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden
Lauren Mohn, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Swarthmore College
Dario Mohr, New York-based educator and interdisciplinary artist who creates interactive sanctuary experiences, and founder and director, AnkhLave Arts Alliance, Inc.
Gary Paul Nabhan, internationally celebrated nature writer, agrarian activist, and ethnobiologist who works to conserve the links between biodiversity and cultural diversity
Henry Obispo, founder and CEO of Born Juice and ReBORN Farms
Lina Puerta, mixed-media contemporary artist whose work has been exhibited at the Ford Foundation Gallery, El Museo del Barrio, Wave Hill, and 21c Museum Hotels, and who recently completed an artist residency and exhibition at the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling
Michael Purugganan, Ph.D., Silver Professor of Biology and former Dean of Science at New York University

About The New York Botanical Garden

Founded in 1891, The New York Botanical Garden is the most comprehensive botanical garden in the world and an integral part of the cultural fabric of New York City, anchored in the Bronx. Visitors come to the Garden to connect with nature for joy, beauty, and respite, and for renowned plant-based exhibitions, music and dance, and poetry and lectures. Innovative children’s education programs promote environmental sustainability and nutrition awareness, graduate programs educate the next generation of botanists, while engaging classes inspire adults to remain lifelong learners. The 250-acre verdant landscape, which includes a 50-acre, old-growth forest, and the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory support living collections of more than one million plants. Unparalleled resources are also held in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, the world’s most important botanical and horticultural library with 11 million archival items spanning ten centuries, and William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest in the Western Hemisphere with 7.8 million plant and fungal specimens. Committed to protecting the planet’s biodiversity and natural resources, Garden scientists work on-site in cutting-edge molecular labs and in areas worldwide where biodiversity is most at risk.

For more information about and to purchase tickets for Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love, please go HERE.

LATE NIGHT AT LIGHT NIGHTCLUB

GRAMMY Award-winning recording artist Lucky Daye lit up the stage at LIGHT Nightclub, located at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, with a stellar performance at the popular Las Vegas club.

Accompanied by a keyboardist and bassist, Daye arrived at the club around 2 a.m. and took the stage at 2:15 a.m. for an electric performance of his hit songs, including “Candy Drip,” “Late Night,” “NWA,” “Guess,” “Misunderstood,” “Roll Some Mo” and “Over,” among others, for a roaring crowd. Daye showed his fans’ love throughout his set by making his way from one side of the stage to the other, engaging with some fans surrounding the stage.

The group enjoyed sipping on Don Julio 1942 and Gatorade throughout the night. Before departing the club, Daye spent time signing autographs and posing for photos with DJ E-Rock after his performance.

Lucky Daye performed in LIGHT Nightclub via the Wicked Creative for use by 360 Magazine

LIGHT is open from 10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights and has provided guests with a world-class experience combining a state-of-the-art sound system with massive LED screens since opening in 2013. Since reopening its doors in February, the nightclub has hosted performances by Wyclef Jean, Sam Hunt, Iggy Azalea, and Ludacris. LIGHT continues the star-studded lineup in June with DJ Romeo, 6lack, Majid Jordan, and a second performance by Masego among other talents to be announced. For more information, including admission and VIP pricing, please visit thelightvegas.com or call 702-632-4700.

About LIGHT Nightclub

LIGHT Nightclub at Mandalay Bay merges cutting-edge creativity with popular music to produce unrivaled nightlife entertainment. LIGHT’s DJs play a wide range of popular hits with performers and dancers immersing the crowd in a pulsating party vibe set to state-of-the-art sound and lighting. LIGHT’s massive LED screens captivate the senses, and a world-class sound system keeps energy high. LIGHT is open from 10:30 p.m. – 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. More information is available on the website https://thelightvegas.com/ and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

NEW MUTANTS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

In 1982, X-Men visionary Chris Claremont and legendary comic book artist Bob McLeod expanded the mutant mythos with the first of many X-Men spinoff books: NEW MUTANTS. Introducing the next generation of mutantkind with hard-hitting, thrilling coming-of-age adventures, the series represented a profound shift for the franchise and is celebrated for its diverse and layered cast of characters and its influential, and at times experimental, storytelling. Over the last 40 years, NEW MUTANTS has continued to be a timeless yet contemporary voice for the marginalized youth who must grow up in a harsh, cruel world. This September, Marvel Comics is proud to honor the anniversary of this groundbreaking series with a supersized issue! Crafted by current series writer Vita Ayala, NEW MUTANTS #30 will be a mosaic love letter dedicated to the mutant youngsters who have become the beacon and hope of a new generation of X-Men. Commemorating classic and new characters alike, this collection of shorts featuring artwork by talents such as Alex Lins, Jason Loo, Emma Kubert, and more, celebrates four decades’ worth of the joys and tribulations of being young, brave, and gifted in the world of X.

In honor of the book’s anniversary issue, McCleod has returned to his creation, showcasing the team’s original roster on a new variant cover.

“So many fans have come up to me at conventions and told me what a huge impact the New Mutants had on them in their teen years, and how relatable they were in all of their diversity. Native Americans, African Americans, and Kentuckians, all finally see themselves represented in the comics. It’s been very humbling,” McCleod said of the team’s impact. “Our New Mutants have gone through so many changes over the decades that I often didn’t recognize them as the same characters we created. So I was very pleased to get the chance to come full circle and do a variant cover homage to their very first published appearance on the cover of AMAZING HEROES #16. I hope fans continue to enjoy them for another 40 years!”

The issue will also feature a fourth-wall-breaking short by special guest writer Alyssa Wong, starring one of the most popular characters to debut in the series—Deadpool!

“What an honor to come aboard NEW MUTANTS for its 40th anniversary!” Wong said. “NEW MUTANTS is such a delight. It’s gonna be a party–so of course, I’m bringing Deadpool.”Check out the cover below and stay tuned for more news, including story details and creative announcements, about this monumental NEW MUTANTS issue coming in September! For more information, visit Marvel.com.

ANNE WILSON – MY JESUS

Capitol CMG artist and songwriter, Anne Wilson, has been taking the music world by storm with the release of her debut album, My Jesus, this Spring. This past Friday, June 3rd, Anne took home 2 K-LOVE Fan Awards – Female Artist of the Year and Breakout Single of the Year for her hit song, “My Jesus.”

“I grew up listening to Christian radio and K-LOVE, so winning a breakout single is just so surreal,” says Wilson. “I am so grateful for how Christian music impacts so many people for the Kingdom. So thankful. I am so undone by God’s faithfulness. Winning female artist of the year means so much to me. What an honor! So grateful.”

The K-LOVE Fan Awards is the home of the only fan-voted awards show in Christian entertainment. The Awards bring together the biggest names in Christain music, films, sports, books, and more, geared to create a fan experience that celebrates and promotes artists, athletes, authors, and entertainers with excellence that engage and impact popular culture.

At release, Anne’s debut album, My Jesus, hit the #1 spot on multiple charts including Billboard’s Top Christian & Gospel Albums, Billboard’s Top 200 Christian & Gospel, Billboard’s Top Albums, and Apple Music (Christian & Gospel Category.) The album’s title track, “My Jesus,” earned Anne her first RIAA Gold Certification and a 2022 Billboard Music Award nomination for “Top Christian Song.” The album also made recent CCMG history, scoring the biggest debut week in over 15 years by a Capitol Christian Music Group-signed new artist.

Anne’s current single, “Mamas,” was released this past Mother’s Day weekend and features one of her personal musical inspirations, Hillary Scott. The moving track’s music video about the importance of a mother’s love has garnered 5.9 million views to date.

For additional information on Anne Wilson, including upcoming tour dates, please visit

Website //Instagram // Twitter// Facebook // YouTube

Singer/songwriter Anne Wilson knows the healing power of music firsthand. The lyrics of Hillsong Worship’s “What A Beautiful Name” became a lifeline for the Lexington, Kentucky native after her brother was tragically killed in a car accident at the age of 23. Although she spent much of her childhood behind a piano, Wilson sang in front of an audience for the first time at her brother’s funeral. It was at that moment that she realized what she was born to do. A video of her moving performance organically circulated, eventually landing her a record deal. With a mesmerizing voice and a visible hunger for Jesus, the 20-year-old relies on personal journal entries and time spent in nature for songwriting inspiration.

Wilson’s introductory track, “My Jesus”—which she co-wrote with Jeff Pardo and Matthew West—is a warm invitation to experience her Savior in the same intimate way she knows Him. She released a debut three-track single—also titled My Jesus—for Capitol Christian Music Group in early 2021 and followed it up with a live EP, My Jesus (Live in Nashville). Her song, “My Jesus,” charted on the Spotify Viral 50, Shazam Top 200, and Rolling Stone Top 25 Trending charts. Her story was also featured in the Religion News Service and The Washington Post. She made her Opry debut on the iconic stage in September 2021. Wilson was featured in Billboard Magazine as the October 2021 Chart Breaker artist.

UB40 – UNPRECEDENTED

UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell & Astro will release their new album Unprecedented, on July 1 via UMe. The album will be released as a black 2LP, a limited-edition white-color 2LP, 1CD, limited-edition cassette as well as digitally. All formats include their new single “Sufferer”, which Ali has dedicated to his beloved friend and bandmate for over four decades, Astro, who tragically passed away last November.

‘“Sufferer,’ is a song that Astro and I have always loved, from the brilliant Kingstonians,” comments Ali. “Astro was so proud of our version of this song, as am I. It’s the first track of our new studio album Unprecedented which will be out in the summer. This song is more poignant and special than I ever realized after Astro heartbreakingly passed away after recording this album. We want to keep his memory alive through his music and this song and album.”

UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey’s most recent album, 2018’s A Real Labour Of Love, debuted at No.2 on the UK album chart, only dropping one place a week later to No.3, and the album spent a month in the Top 10. UB40 topped the UK singles chart on three occasions and sold 70 million records as they took their smooth yet rootsy musical blend to all corners of the globe. Between 1983 and 1998 the group produced three Labour Of Love albums, bringing hits such as Eric Donaldson’s “Cherry Oh Baby”, Lord Creator’s “Kingston Town” and Johnny Osbourne’s “Come Back Darling” to a new, global audience. They also topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their reggae covers of “Red Red Wine” and “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You” and had a further UK No.1 with their cover of “I Got You Babe” with Chrissie Hynde.

Unprecedented Tracklist (2LP,1CD, Cassette, Digital)

1. Caught You In A Lie

2. Do Yourself A Favour

3. Emperors Wore No Clothes

4. Happy Includes Everyone

5. Heaven In Her Eyes

6. Lean On Me / In Aid Of NHS Charities Together

7. Lean On Me

8. Mellow

9. Stay Another Day

10. Sufferer

11. Sunday Morning Coming Down

12. Unprecedented

13. We’ll Never Find Another Love

14. What Have I Done

Listen to “Sufferer” HERE

AERIAL OBJECTS

Violinist, composer, and Grammy Award-winning sound engineer, Simon Goff, has teamed up with acclaimed, multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter, Katie Melua, and announced their forthcoming collaborative album, Aerial Objects.

The album is due for release digitally and on CD on July 15 via BMG and on vinyl on September 2. Alongside the announcement, Simon and Katie have shared the stunning ‘Hotel Stamba’, the first single to be taken from the album. You can pre order AERIAL here.

Simon Goff and Katie Melua were two musicians who moved into very different musical circles. Simon is more closely aligned to a bloodline of artists who inhabit an area between electronic, classical, and post-rock, with his unique approach to sound seeing him work with some of the world’s most acclaimed musicians, including Academy Award-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir on the scores for Joker and Chernobyl – both of which earned him Grammy Awards. Katie, meanwhile, has released 8 Top 10 UK albums across a 20-year career littered with modern standards including ‘Closest Thing To Crazy’ and ‘Nine Million Bicycles’.

Her latest LP, Album No.8, was released in 2020 to huge acclaim, and the accompanying Acoustic Album No.8 was released in 2021 and featured contributions from Simon on ‘Remind Me To Forget’ and ‘Maybe I Dreamt It’.

After that initial collaboration on Katie’s album, the pair agreed they immediately wanted to test the boundaries of what collaboration could look like from a blank canvas.

An exhibition the pair attended at the iconic brutalist edifice of the König Gallery in Berlin was the catalyst for the album’s thematic terrain. A discussion on the emotional effects of different spaces and architecture sparked an exploration of landscapes, both man-made and natural, and turned into experimental compositions that move, moment by moment, between the song spaces of Katie and the immersive melodies of Simon.

With Simon at the musical helm and Katie’s imagination and lyrical freedom addressing how environments shape her thinking and state, this six-track collaboration record is an exploratory project of two artists searching beyond their usual musical boundaries into places unknown.

On the album, Simon says “The process of making this album has been one of discovery and giving space to each other. The sensitivity needed for this kind of process has allowed many things to surface, from us discovering the differences in how we listen to and hear music and lyrics, to our own deeply personal life experiences. The record for me is a representation of us exploring the space that exists between us and discovering a common voice from within it.”

Katie says “I was fortunate enough to work with Simon when he appeared as a guest on an acoustic album I released late last year. During those sessions, and as a maker of immersive musical landscapes, Simon talked to me about creating records that make the listener feel like they are inside the orchestra. We agreed that we needed to create something new together – with a focus on how different environments affect the human condition.

She continues, “On Aerial Objects, our two artists’ worlds have merged to create a new space: Simon on the violin, analog processing, and synths, coming together with my world of traditional records rooted around the pop song. Lyrically this work has allowed me the freedom of imagination to address how environments shape my thinking and state; how the use of language and story-telling influence me; as well as the opportunity to finally reflect on a time in my life when I was recovering from a very challenging psychiatric illness.”

The album’s first single, ‘Hotel Stamba’, was the second song the pair wrote for Aerial Objects and is a love song to the eponymous hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia, where Katie spent the first eight years of her life.

The accompanying video celebrates architecture, pivoting from man-made spaces and shining a light on one of the great architects of nature, bees.

Katie describes the single as “an attempt to create a piece of music which makes me feel the way this space made me feel when I stepped inside it.”

She continues, “‘Hotel Stamba’ is about a hotel in Tbilisi which massively changed my opinion of what was happening in Georgia culturally from 2017 to 2019. This building symbolizes both the past and future of Tbilisi, a place where the streets are named after poets and writers. I’ve spent a lot of time in hotels and I couldn’t believe that my home town had managed to create this stunning hotel, which was both sensitive to the local culture, and cool, and comfortable, and just really killing it on the world stage. And so it’s how that hotel made me feel.”