Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation announced The Weeknd, one of todayās most compelling and significant artists of a generation, will perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show on CBS at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021.
In less than a decade, The Weeknd has amassed a global fanbase, become a multi-award winning artist, and recently, was named one of the most influential people of 2020 by Time Magazine. Regarded for his creative vision, The Weeknd is known for his genre-bending music and redefining storytelling, both sonically and visually.
Marking the second year of this collaboration, Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation are excited to bring The Weeknd to the worldās biggest stage for what is sure to be a transcendent performance.
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show telecast will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director. Roc Nation is also serving as the strategic entertainment advisors of the live performance.
āWe all grow up watching the worldās biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. Iām humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year,ā The Weeknd said.
āThe Weeknd has introduced a sound all his own. His soulful uniqueness has defined a new generation of greatness in music and artistry,ā said Shawn JAY-Z Carter. āThis is an extraordinary moment in time and the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show is going to be an extraordinary experience with an extraordinary performer.ā
he Black Keys release Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition), an expanded version of their watershed 2010 multi-platinum, Grammy-winning sixth studio album December 18, 2020 in the US and Canada and on January 1, 2021 in all other territories, via Nonesuch Records, on which the record is newly available throughout the world. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Brothers will be re-released with three added bonus songs: āKeep My Name Outta Your Mouth,ā āBlack Mud Part II,ā and āChop and Change.ā It will be available in three formats: a 7ā box set, a 2-LP set, and a CD (full info about each below). This will be the first in an annual series of archival releases from the band. The band today also share their promotional video for the release, directed by Bryan Schlam.
Members of The Black Keys fan club, The Lonely Boys and Girls Club, were treated to an early listen of one of the new tracks from the deluxe reissue, as well as an early look at some of the bonus material included in the upcoming release.
Brothers, originally released on May 18, 2010, was largely recorded at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. It was a career breakthrough for The Black Keys, receiving critical praise and earning three Grammy Awards, for Best Alternative Album, Best Rock Performance, and Best Recording Packaging for Michael Carneyās design. Upon release, Rolling Stone hailed the album āa masterpiece,ā and Uncut named them āone of the best rock ānā roll bands on the planet.ā
Although they realized upon their arrival in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in hot and humid August that the studio had seen better days, the bandāsinger/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carneyābrought in their own equipment and proceeded. The oppressive Alabama summer weather “forced us into the studio,ā Carney says. “We went into that darkness and stayed there.”
The duo recorded nine of the original Brothers songs in what was now “a remote recording in a historic room that had been gutted,” Auerbach recalls, adding that the location contributed to the vibe of Brothers nonetheless: “You can feel it if you’re a musician, the great things that happened in a place. Half of the thing that we love is in our minds, but when we go to these shrines, it gives us inner strength. It feels magicalāthis is where the music was born.”
The band recorded additional material in other locations: the album song āTighten Upā in Brooklyn with Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), several others on Auerbach’s eight-track in his Akron basement, and three in Mark Neill’s home studio in San Diego. āChop and Changeā and āKeep My Name Outta Your Mouthā are bonus tracks on this anniversary edition of Brothers. The band then gave the music to Tchad Blake to mix. Carney recalls, āWe told Tchad, ‘Make it sound fucked up.'”
The album title highlighted a revived bond between the longtime bandmates and childhood neighbors, who had been through challenging times personally and professionally. Carney says, āI was thinking about what the record meant to meāhow Dan and I had gone through this shit that brothers go through where you don’t get along, but then you do get along and realize it’s an unconditional love.” It was reminiscent of one of Auerbachās favorite Allman Brothers albums, too: “As soon as Pat suggested it, I loved it.ā
The Black Keys released their ninth studio album, āLetās Rock,ā via Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records last year. The album received critical praise, with Pitchfork saying, āThis is an album by the Black Keys called āLetās Rock.ā That’s what it does.ā The Wall Street Journal said, āThe Black Keys have mastered the form of guitar-based music, and the craft at work on these dozen songs is something to behold.ā
Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition) Track Listing:
1. Everlasting Light
2. Next Girl
3. Tighten Up
4. Howlin’ for You
5. She’s Long Gone
6. Black Mud
7. The Only One
8. Too Afraid to Love You
9. Ten Cent Pistol
10. Sinister Kid
11. The Go Getter
12. I’m Not the One
13. Unknown Brother
14. Never Give You Up
15. These Days
16. Chop and Change *
17. Keep My Name Outta Your Mouth **
18. Black Mud Part II ***
*Previously released on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
**Previously unreleased
***Previously unreleased
Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition) 7ā Box Set
ā Limited edition ā only 7500 copies available worldwide
ā Nine 7ā singles
ā New liner notes written by David Fricke
ā Three bonus songs
ā 60-page book of photos from the archives
ā Limited edition poster
ā Special heat-sensitive ink on cover
Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition) 2-LP Set
ā 140 gram vinyl
ā 12ā vinyl tip-on gatefold double-pocket album jacket
ā New liner notes written by David Fricke
ā Three bonus songs
ā Insert with photos
Brothers (Deluxe Remastered Anniversary Edition) CD
ā Single CD
ā Booklet with new liner notes written by David Fricke and photos from the archive
ā Three bonus songs
Australian artist Tones And I has returned with a brand-new single āFly Away,ā which is available now onĀ all streaming platforms.Ā The track, which is accompanied by a cinematic official music video live now onĀ Tones And Iās YouTube channel, marks a new chapter in the global phenomās already historic career and serves as a preview to her widely anticipated full-length debut.
Regarding āFly Away,ā Tones And I commented,Ā āāFly Awayā is about chasing your dreams, reaching your goals and the realities that comes with it. Being a busker, I obviously had bigger dreams. However, this song is inspired by the way I thought I would feel versus the way I actually feel. I think thatās very powerful, at least to me. Itās about genuine happiness and what we think we need to have happiness versus what we actually want. The truth is we only ever want anything because we think it will make us happy, but itās never that simple.ā
Tones And I wrote āFly Awayā solely by herself while quarantining at home in Melbourne during the COVID-19 global pandemic.Ā Co-produced by Tones And I and Dann Hume, the song stands out as one of her most personal, poetic, and powerful compositions as she confides,Ā āI had dream that someday I would just fly, fly away.āĀ Additionally, Tones And I chose to take a photo with her grandfather for the trackās single art (see below). āItās a beautiful song, and I knew he would particularly like this one, so I thought it was the right choice. Heās my Pa, and I wanted to have something cool for us to do together that I can look back on. Heās also a boss!ā
āFly Awayā marks yet another major moment in Tones and Iās unbelievable journey. Earlier this fall, she recruited blackbear forĀ the official RemixĀ of her 2020 hit āUr So F**kInG cOoL,ā the single version of which has surpassed 80 million streams globally and broke into the Top 40 radio charts stateside.Ā āUr So F**kInG cOoLā also follows Tones And Iās standalone tracks āCanāt Be Happy All The Timeā and āBad Childā ā the latter of which Tones And I debutedĀ a stripped back piano performanceĀ of onĀ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Tones And I was recently picked byĀ BillboardĀ as a frontrunner for āRecord of the Yearā and a likely nominee for āBest New Artistā at the 2021 GRAMMYĀ® Awards following the massive impact of her global smash āDance Monkey.āĀ āDance Monkeyā has not only emerged as the most Shazamād single of all time and crossed 1.3 billion views on YouTube,Ā but has also become the 4thĀ most streamed song of all time on Spotify and the most streamed song ever by a female artist on the platform.Ā āDance Monkeyā has also eclipsed seven billion streams globally and earned 4x platinum certification from the RIAA in the US, while reaching multiplatinum or diamond certification in sixteen other countries. Plus, āDance Monkeyā hit #4 onĀ BillboardāsĀ Hot 100Ā chart, making āDance Monkeyā the first top fiveĀ Hot 100Ā hit solely written by a woman in over eight years.Ā In Australia, āDance Monkeyā holds the all-time record for the most weeks spent at #1 on theĀ ARIA singles chart, while in the UK āDance Monkeyā has made Tones And I the longest runningĀ #1 of all time by a female artist on theĀ Official Singles Chart.Ā Ā The New York TimesĀ detailed the making of āDance Monkeyā in theirĀ Diary of a SongĀ video series, speaking with Tones And I about her journey from local busker to global star.
āDance Monkeyā is featured on Tones And Iās RIAA gold certified debut EPĀ The Kids Are ComingĀ which earned her four major wins back home at last yearās ARIA Awards including: āBreakthrough Artist,ā āBest Female Artist,ā āBest Pop Release,ā and āBest Independent Release.ā Following the EPās release Tones And I showcased her staggering voice across performances of āDance Monkeyā and standout single āNever Seen The Rain,ā appearing onĀ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,Ā The Voice,Ā The Ellen DeGeneres ShowĀ andĀ The Today Show.
Tones And I rescheduled her upcoming Australian headline tour to 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.Ā Tickets for the rescheduled dates, which are set to kick off April 21stĀ in Melbourne featuring special guests Jakubi and Billy Davis, are on sale now atĀ www.tonesandi.com
Originally from Australiaās Mornington Peninsula, Tones And I traveled to Byron Bay in early 2018 to take a chance at busking. On the first day she had crowds spilling onto the street.Ā Tones quit her retail job and decided to make Byron her new home where she lived out of her van for a year, honing her songwriting and busking every weekend. Ā A year later, she had one of the biggest songs in the world with her global smash āDance Monkey.ā
Halifax alt-pop duo Neon Dreams have released their sophomore album The Happiness of Tomorrow, available today. Frank Kadillac and Adrian Morris embarked on a 12-date run that started last night in Halifax, making them one of the only bands touring in North America for the remainder of 2020. Neon Dreams are taking advantage of the COVID-safe Atlantic Bubble that enables them to perform for fans in person at selected venues.
Sometimes the most terrible situations can have positive outcomes. For Neon Dreams, COVID-19 shutting down the world was the catalyst for their sophomore album, The Happiness of Tomorrow. Though Frank Kadillac and Adrian Morris had dozens of songs written pre-pandemic, the title track was conceived in quarantine and became the spark for the rest of the project.
āThis album wouldnāt have happened if we didnāt go into quarantine,ā Kadillac admits. āI wouldnāt have had time to watch the movies or think about the thoughts that influenced it. Iām not happy all this happened, but Iām happy I had the time to think about my life and where I come from.ā
After writing The Happiness of Tomorrow, the rest of the album fell into place. Neon Dreams polished the six tracks that would accompany it and organized them like a coming of age movie soundtrack. Aside from the album, the alt-pop duo is releasing a series of videosāāHouse Party,ā āDonāt Go Hating Me Now,ā āAll The People,ā and āIām With Youāāthat tell a cohesive story.
Kadillac and drummer Adrian Morris have been making music together under Neon Dreams since 2015, but it wasnāt until last year that Kadillac realized his true purpose. After pushing himself too far and experiencing insomnia for the first time in his life, the singer wanted to get helpābut not from a doctor. He had dabbled in meditation in the past and decided to attend the Sedona Meditation Center Mother Earth Retreat. There, he detoxed from life and recalled horrifying memories he had previously blocked out.
After writing from a place of sadness for so long, Kadillac felt moved to invoke positivity with his music. Though the band had already garnered a gold single in āMarching Bands,ā accumulated tens of millions of streams, and won numerous Canadian awardsāincluding a coveted JUNO for Breakthrough Group of the Year āthe singer-songwriter wanted to reinvent their sound. He promptly deleted a full album’s worth of songs and started Neon Dreams anew.
In 2019, the duo released Sweet Dream till Sunbeamsāan album comprising nine uplifting songs about not fitting in and overcoming adversityāand have continued to drop new material this year, covering subjects from Kadillacās painful youth to his mother beating cancer. Though they consider themselves to be āalt-pop,ā Neon Dreamsā music canāt be pigeonholed. Kadillac likes to describe their sound as āif Adam Levine and Gym Class Heroes made a band that was influenced by early 2000s, late ā90s inspirational coming of age movie soundtracks.ā
Atlantic Canadian Tour Dates:
Nov 13: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nov 14: Fredericton, New Brunswick
Nov 15: Moncton, New Brunswick
Nov 16: Sydney, Nova Scotia
Nov 19: St. Johnās, Newfoundland
Nov 20: Clarenville, Newfoundland
Nov 21: Marystown, Newfoundland
Nov 25: Gander, Newfoundland
Nov 26: Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland
Nov 27: Stephenville, Newfoundland
Nov 28: Corner Brook, Newfoundland
The Beatles animated television series was a historical milestone as the first weekly television series to feature animated versions of real, living people. It was originally broadcast from 1965 to 1969 on ABC in the U.S. for a total of 39 episodes produced. Each episode has a name of a Beatles song, so the story is based on its lyrics and also played at some time in the episode, and here’s the one with I Saw Her Standing There.
British music producer State Azure goes into uncharted territory, remaking In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins that was skillfully completely recorded directly onto a digital audio workstation.
Here’s a timelapse of setting up the biggest drum kit of the world at Turock in Essen, Germany. Since the venue is closed for their regular business (concerts and club nights) due to the Corona pandemic, exhibitions are fine (with masks and keeping distance!)
Whatās there to do when concerts wonāt take place and musicians arenāt allowed to play shows anymore due to the Coronavirus pandemic? Well, the guys from Gatetohell.net decided to build the biggest drumkit of the world and JĆ¼rgen āVentorā Reil from Kreator dropped by to see how it plays.
