Andy Warhol paints Debbie Harry at the 1985 launch of the Commodore Amiga.
This “U.K. Song Map” Is SO Great
Here’s something every music fan would love. The “UK Song Map” is a fascinating fascinating lithographic print by Dorothy and is a map of the United Kingdom made up entirely from the titles of over 1,400 songs.
Our new vintage style map will take you on a musical trip across the U.K. using the titles of popular songs that reference the cities, towns, rivers, mountains and landmarks of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Featuring songs such as Let England Shake (PJ Harvey), London Calling (The Clash), Glasgow Mega-Snake (Mogwai), Sunshine On Leith (The Proclaimers), Edinburgh Man (The Fall), Rose of Aberdeen (Simon & Garfunkel), Hebridean Sun (Vashti Bunyan), Cardiff In the Sun (Super Furry Animals), Cardiff Afterlife (Manic Street Preachers), Newport State of Mind (Goldie Looking Chain), Green Green Grass of Home (Tom Jones), Belfast Child (Simple Minds), Alternative Ulster (Stiff Little Fingers), Oxford Comma (Vampire Weekend), Bristol to London (Tricky), Birmingham Blues (Electric Light Orchestra), Leeds Road 3AM (New Model Army), Sheffield: Sex City (Pulp), Going Down to Liverpool (The Bangles), Strawberry Fields Forever (The Beatles), Mersey Paradise (The Stone Roses), Madchester Rave On (Happy Mondays) and London 0 Hull 4 (The Housemartins) …okay okay we know the last two aren’t singles but we couldn’t resist.
Some of our favourite song choices are the ones which require you to think a little harder about connections between the placement and the title, including Mile High (James Blake) for Ben Nevis, Heart of Stone (The Rolling Stones) for Stonehenge, Farmer’s Daughter (Babyshambles) for Glastonbury, No Cars Go (Arcade Fire) for the Island of Sark, Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd) for Blackpool, Scary Monsters & Super Creeps (David Bowie) for Loch Ness, Blinded by the Light (Manfred Mann) for Portland Bill, Giant Steps (John Coltrane) for Giant’s Causeway, Rolling in the Deep (Adele) for the North Sea and The Tide Is High (Blondie) and Holy Island (FKA Twigs) for Lindisfarne.
Whether you’re a North Country Boy (The Charlatans) or a Southern Man (Neil Young), a West Country Girl (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) or a West End Girl (Pet Shop Boys) you’ll find something in this map to remind you of home.
Here’s Billie Eilish creating the artwork for one of the two limited edition Third Man Records pressings
Billie Eilish, accompanied by her brother and chief collaborator FINNEAS O’Connell, performed an intimate acoustic set for a room of excited fans and friends in The Blue Room at Nashville’s Third Man Records November 6th. The set was recorded live on Third Man’s direct-to-acetate system (a 1955 Scully lathe, previously homed at King Records), and the vinyl recording will be available this Friday only at Third Man retail locations in Nashville and Detroit.
Available Friday, fans will have access to two versions, both extremely limited: a green vinyl edition available at both Third Man Records locations in Nashville and Detroit and an extremely limited amount of black & blue split-color versions, featuring one-of-a-kind splatter artwork created by Eilish during her evening spent at Third Man headquarters, available at the Nashville storefront exclusively. Watch footage of Billie making the jackets for the latter version HERE. Both storefronts open at 10am Friday morning. Available only while supplies last.
It was a big year on the charts for six-time Grammy-Awards nominee Billie Eilish. The 17-year old singer, songwriter and musician debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? She scored her first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with “bad guy,” which has since become the longest-running Hot 100 top ten hit by a female artist in the last century, amassing more than 3 billion global audio streams across all platforms, and climbing to No. 1 at Top 40 and Alternative radio. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is now the highest-selling debut album of 2019 and biggest North American debut album of the decade (male, female or group), shifting 313,000 units in its first week and hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for an additional two nonconsecutive weeks. Billie has now earned more than 24 billion combined career audio and video streams, while her 2020 WHERE DO WE GO? World Arena Tour sold out of 500,000+ tickets within an hour of on-sale, beginning March 9, 2020.
Motley Crue, Poison, Def Leppard, Joan Jett Announce North American Tour In 2020
Motley Crue have broken up that “Cessation of Touring Agreement” and reunited for the summer of 2020 with a major trek of stadiums across North America. Joining them on the road will be Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett. Motley Crue toured with Poison in 2011 and Def Leppard toured with Poison in 2017, but this is the first time the three Eighties hard rock acts have hit the road together.
Tuesday, July 7 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium
Thursday, July 9 – Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium
Saturday, July 11 – Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium
Tuesday, July 14 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field
Wednesday, July 15 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park
Sunday, July 19 – San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park
Thursday, July 23 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park
Saturday, July 25 – Phoenix, AZ @ State Farm Stadium
Sunday, August 9 – Atlanta, GA @ SunTrust Park
Tuesday, August 11 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
Thursday, August 13 – Buffalo, NY @ New Era Field
Saturday, August 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park
Sunday, August 16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park
Tuesday, August 18 – Milwaukee, WI @ Miller Park
Thursday, August 20 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
Saturday, August 22 – Washington, D.C. @ Nationals Park
Sunday, August 23 – Flushing, NY @ Citi Field
Tuesday, August 25 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park
Friday, August 28 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field
Sunday, August 30 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field
Wednesday, September 2 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park
Saturday, September 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium
The Modern-Day Involvement and Evolution of Rock
After coming to the forefront of the music industry in the late 1940s, rock music has since been integrated into successful digital sectors to enhance its modern-day popularity. While there have long been discussions over whether the genre itself is slowly being phased out as the music industry continues to adapt to social changes, it appears unquestionable that rock and roll still has the credentials to thrive in the foreseeable future.
As a result, we’re going to look at the genre’s gaming connection, while also analyzing how it has evolved to stay relevant.
Gaming Connection
For many, many years, playable music titles, which focus predominantly on the rock genre, have been developed across a range of different consoles. Although it was released back in 2003, Amplitude was one of the earliest releases that allowed for a player-controlled digital rock experience. In addition to creating and publishing Amplitude, Harmonix also sought to expand the possibilities to allow for multiplayer gaming and did so with their 2007 title, Rock Band. Through providing drums, a guitar and a microphone within the original set, gamers could immerse themselves in over 2,000 songs due to the downloadable library that was available through the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 adaptations.
Following the success of the 2007 version, Harmonix eventually released Rock Band 4 on the next generation consoles back in 2015. While the premise of the game remains much the same, it’s development onto contemporary platforms demonstrates the genre’s ability to evolve and succeed in any era. Moreover, aside from the traditional gaming sector, the iGaming market has also developed several slot games around iconic rock stars. Along with the Ozzy Osbourne title available at popular online casino NetBet, there’s also the five-reel Jimi Hendrix slot which includes the rock legend’s music in the background, while the purple haze free spin feature assists in capturing a nostalgic 1960’s music vibe.
How Contemporary Changes Have Affected the Genre and Music Creation
Over the last few years, the increase in streaming platforms has resulted in numerous artists altering how they go about producing their music. Much like in other markets where digital alternatives have negatively impacted upon traditional foundations, in the music industry there has been a decline in album purchases. With newly-developed services like Apple Music and Spotify, listeners are actively able to create their own playlists, which some argue disregards the carefully constructed nature of complete album narratives.
Moreover, the payment structure which surrounds digital services is also influencing the construction of new music. In years gone by, artists were paid by album or singles sales, whereas, in modern-day society, plays which surpass the 30-second mark equate to one stream listen, and thus hold monetary value. Additionally, musicians are adopting short introductions and repetitive hooks to secure stream listens, which is a distinct change from song formats when rock music was at its peak.
Despite Change, There’s a Place for Rock
As mentioned above, there are many variables which have altered the foundations of modern-day music, but, even in spite of that, the rock genre continues to find a place within society. For as long as gaming platforms remain popular, creations such as Rock Band and the Jimi Hendrix slot are going to have the foundations to succeed within an ever-changing society.
Stevie Nicks Gave John Mulaney the Greatest Rejection Story of His Career
John Mulaney reveals why he kicks off his kids’ variety show with a quote from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, how a big childhood fear had him sleeping with a crowbar and the time Stevie Nicks passed on his special but invited him to hang in her yard.
E.T. revisits Elliott 37 years later in new Xfinity holiday commercial
After 37 years, E.T. comes back to visit his friend, Elliott, for the holidays. During his stay, E.T. learns that Elliott now has a family of his own and that technology has completely changed on Earth since his last visit.
James Bond is back in the first full trailer for No Time To Die
In No Time To Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Directed by and co-written by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the film’s cast includes Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Whishaw, Lea Seydoux, and Ralph Fiennes, and is slated for release April 8, 2020.
Juicy Sonic Magic: The Mike Millard Method, a 10-minute mini-documentary about the bootleg legend directed by David DuBois.
The film tells the story of late, great concert taper Mike “The Mike” Millard and an homage to his work that was undertaken by archivist and producer Erik Flannigan, who attempted to recreate the legendary taper’s methods by using the same vintage cassette deck and microphones Millard employed in the ’70s to record our two Greek Theatre concerts last year.
Millard became a legend for his high-quality bootleg recordings of artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and many others made in and around Southern California in the ’70s and ’80’s by sneaking his equipment into concerts hidden in a wheelchair. The film features animation by illustrator Jess Rotter and Eben McCue, plus interviews with Matt Berninger, producer/archivist Erik Flannigan and Mike Millard’s friend Jim Reinstein, who pushed Millard and his wheelchair into dozens of shows.
Flannigan explained the idea behind using The Mike Millard Method in the liner notes of the accompanying Black Friday Record Store Day three-cassette box set release (out November 29 via 4AD) entitled ‘The National: Juicy Sonic Magic, Live in Berkeley, September 24-25, 2018’, saying:
“The most celebrated audience taper of the period, Mike Millard, recorded in and around Southern California beginning in 1974 and continued into the early ’90s. Millard’s legend is built in part on the cunning and subterfuge he used to get his nearly 15-pound cassette deck and microphones into venues like the The Forum, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and The Roxy.
For years I have pondered what made Millard’s recordings so good, and eventually I had an idea: What if you recorded a concert today with the same equipment Millard used in 1977? Would it sound like his tapes? Would it tap into his Midas touch?
The National was kind enough to let us test the Millard Method for two concerts at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California last September. These live recordings were made with vintage AKG 451E microphones and a restored Nakamichi 550 cassette deck which are identical to those used by Millard circa 1975-81. The idea was to see if we could recreate what Matt Berninger calls the “juicy sonic magic” Millard captured in his 1970s field recordings.
Together with my friend and filmmaker David DuBois, we also produced a short documentary about Millard, his recording methods, and our attempt to recreate his work at the National shows in Berkeley, a venue that is utterly unchanged since the ’70s.
With the advent of smartphones, thousands of people routinely record part of the show when they attend a National concert or any other performance. Forty years ago, when nobody would dare do that, one man made it his life’s work to preserve legendary concerts on tape.”
Kanye West and his family debuts ‘Closed on Sunday’ music video
Closed on Sunday, you’re my Chick-fil-A, Hold the selfies, put the ’Gram away, Get your family, y’all hold hands and pray
Kanye West’s latest video from Jesus is King is a true family affair. Packing up his extended family, choir, and entourage into Sherp ATVs, the entire group ventured out into the wilderness of his Wyoming ranch for Closed on Sunday.