Today is the 4th of July holiday so we will be on a more relaxed posting schedule. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable day and we’ll be back to our regular schedule tomorrow.
I’ll be spending some time with the family and doing a little bbq and baseball watching.
Donald Trump’s new tariffs are going to be horrible for synthesizer manufacturers. The company behind the the Moog synthesizer has posted an open letter on their website:
A U.S. tariff (import tax) on Chinese circuit boards and associated components is expected to take effect on July 6, 2018.
These tariffs will immediately and drastically increase the cost of building our instruments, and have the very real potential of forcing us to lay off workers and could (in a worst case scenario) require us to move some, if not all, of our manufacturing overseas.
I think I say this every year but fuck it – the music 2018 has blessed us with in its first six months has been extraordinary. With all the insane shit happening around us and to us in this day and age, it feels like music is the only sane thing we have. So below we have our top 20 favorite releases of the year thus far. If you can’t find something to love on this list then you just aren’t trying hard enough – this is an eclectic list that encompasses multiple genres and styles. I can’t wait to see what the next six months brings to our ears.
Note: You can share your own list in our music forum.
Miles Teller has nabbed the role of Goose’s son in Top Gun 2.
Teller will star opposite Tom Cruise in the long-in-the works sequel that sees Cruise, reprising his role as the hot-shot pilot with the call sign Maverick.
Justin Timberlake has dropped the new surprise single “SoulMate.”
Funko have announced that Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker will be made into collectible toys. They will be released in September.
In true Blink-182 fashion, Mark is depicted wearing the blue octopus that has become his signature logo and carrying his signature hot pink bass guitar and Travis is depicted with a backwards cap, face tattoos, skater punk attire and his drumsticks.
Also, if you like Funko, you should definitely check out the official thread in our forums to talk about the collectibles with other fans.
The 1975’s manager, Jamie Osborne, sat down with Music Week to talk about the band and their upcoming plans:
“We’re doing things a little bit differently in this campaign,” Oborne said. “Very early on, Matthew [Healy, frontman] noted that the promotional window on music is shorter than ever, and the time that people consume it is infinite.
“He felt very strongly that, if we have a tour cycle that’s going to last 18 months to two years, we have to release two records in the time that we would have previously have released one.”
Dirty Hit will release A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships in Q4, and Notes On A Conditional Form in Spring 2019, with the backing of its joint venture with Polydor.
New Found Glory will be playing the last three Warped Tour dates.
Rise Against have released a video for “Megaphone.”
Against Me! have welcomed back bassist Andrew Seward to the band.
The Aces will be opening up for 5 Seconds of Summer on their upcoming tour.
Justin Chase’s new album, Victory, is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. The album is a mix of instrumental punk, soft guitar, and hip-hop/R&B music.
Mat Kearney has released a new video for “Memorized.”
Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco has pledged one million dollars to GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network). You can get more information, and donate yourself, here.
With the support of a transformative million dollar pledge by Brendon Urie’s Highest Hopes Foundation, GLSEN will work to provide resources, training, and support to students creating LGBTQ clubs in their K-12 schools.