The Neighbourhood have dropped their new EP, Hard, today.
The Neighbourhood Release New EP
Blink-182’s “Dammit” Turns 20
Chris DeVille, writing at Stereogum:
Although it isn’t as easy to play as, say, Blur’s “Song 2,” most middle-school hacks can easily bang it out after a few minutes of practice. Many of them could write something similar. Chances are it wouldn’t be quite so stupidly infectious, nor would it probably arrive attached to a song so bracingly alive. Anyone can string together some notes in C major; it’s a testament to the writing prowess of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and not-Travis-Barker that they flipped that rudimentary guitar figure into one of the greatest pop-punk songs of all time.
I can’t think of a song I played more often than this one for a good two year stretch after the release of Dude Ranch.
Macy Santa Maria Details Leaving He is We Tour; Alleges Sexual Assault
Macy Santa Maria has posted a statement on Facebook talking about why she left the recent He is We tour. She alleges she was sexually assaulted by the lead singer Rachel Taylor:
I had the opportunity to do what I love this past summer and play guitar for the band He Is We, but unfortunately it was short lived. The night before the first show, I was sexually assaulted by the lead singer Rachel Taylor. I have contemplated sharing my story and have decided to share it on my own in hopes to raise awareness of sexual assault, specifically in the music industry. My objective is shed a little light on sexual assault, that a man or WOMAN is capable of committing. Rachel Taylor has ruined a part me and for her to have the opportunity to hide from this and continue her music career is disgusting. This is something I’m not going to hide from, and neither should anyone facing this issue.
Update: Rachel Taylor has responded on Facebook:
I have zero idea as to why any allegation was made and money was asked for. I will always promote a safe work environment and I was never given any reason to believe it was anything other than that. If I had known that there was ANYTHING offensive or out of line, it certainly would’ve been handled. I will always be a champion for equality for all. That is what the name He Is We means. I will remain steadfast and resolute to what the name means. I am confused and hurt that anyone would make such a despicable accusation. I will continue to be an example of leading the fight on.
Anatomy of a Moral Panic
The real story in this mess is not the threat that algorithms pose to Amazon shoppers, but the threat that algorithms pose to journalism. By forcing reporters to optimize every story for clicks, not giving them time to check or contextualize their reporting, and requiring them to race to publish follow-on articles on every topic, the clickbait economics of online media encourage carelessness and drama. This is particularly true for technical topics outside the reporter’s area of expertise.
And reporters have no choice but to chase clicks. Because Google and Facebook have a duopoly on online advertising, the only measure of success in publishing is whether a story goes viral on social media. Authors are evaluated by how individual stories perform online, and face constant pressure to make them more arresting. Highly technical pieces are farmed out to junior freelancers working under strict time limits. Corrections, if they happen at all, are inserted quietly through ‘ninja edits’ after the fact.
There is no real penalty for making mistakes, but there is enormous pressure to frame stories in whatever way maximizes page views.
‘Rick and Morty’ Co-Creator Slams Online Trolls
James Hibberd, writing for Entertainment Weekly:
Continues Harmon: “These knobs, that want to protect the content they think they own — and somehow combine that with their need to be proud of something they have, which is often only their race or gender. It’s offensive to me as someone who was born male and white, and still works way harder than them, that there’s some white male [fan out there] trying to further some creepy agenda by ‘protecting’ my work. I’ve made no bones about the fact that I loathe these people. It f—ing sucks.”
The Movielife on Billboard Podcast
The Movielife are on the latest episode of the #AlternativeFacts podcast.
Performers Announced for Chester Bennington Tribute
Linkin Park have announced that Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, Blink-182, Avenged Sevenfold’s M.Shadows and Synyster Gates, Machine Gun Kelly, Yellowcard’s Ryan Key, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, and more will be performing at the recently announced Chester Bennington tribute show.
Tickets go on sale this Friday.
Jordan Peele Developing Nazi Hunting TV Drama
Peele is set to executive produce the drama The Hunt, a 1970s-set Nazi hunter drama from Sonar Entertainment. David Weil is on board to pen the script and exec produce alongside Peele. A network is not yet attached; insiders stress the project is already drawing interest from several potential bidders.
Inspired by true events, The Hunt follows a diverse band of Nazi hunters in 1970s America as they set out on a quest for revenge and justice — tracking and killing hundreds of Nazis who, with the unconscionable help of the U.S. government, escaped justice and embedded themselves in American society.
Nathan Fielder: How the Cult Comedian Rules the Outer Limits of Awkward
Andy Greene, writing for Rolling Stone:
Television has never seen anything quite like Fielder, who grew up in Vancouver as a gawky kid who loved to perform magic tricks, then went on to get a business degree from the University of Victoria. Nathan for You manages to make use of both his love of magic and his business acumen, as well as his natural social awkwardness. On the show, he “helps” mom-and-pop shops with schemes that can border on offensive – like when he convinced haunted-house visitors that they’d contracted an autoimmune disease “a step below AIDS” in order to give them a real scare. Other bits are hilarious, sophisticated illusions: To promote a petting zoo, he made a video in which a pig appeared to rescue a goat from drowning. In reality, it was a scheme involving divers and other underwater props, but most of the big morning shows played the clip, believing it was real.
Nathan for You returns tonight. I’m ready.
Frank Turner’s Campfire Punkrock
Frank Turner has announced a “Campfire Punkrock” event next year. It’s a four night all-inclusive event. After the initial backlash at calling something like this “punk,” Frank issued the following statement to NME:
Like Peter Buck, Melissa Auf der Maur, Todd Rungren, Richard Thompson and many others before me, I’m doing a Music Masters camp next summer in upstate New York, in amongst the rest of my regular touring schedule. It’s an all-inclusive package, four nights full bed and board in a resort, so it might not be for everyone, but it’s just one small event among everything else I’ll be doing next year – releasing a new record, with the usual run of tours, festivals and benefit shows that comes with that.
I work hard to make sure that what I do is accessible to everyone. If I don’t see people at the camp, there will be plenty of other shows where we can hang out.
I sure don’t miss the days of arguing over what’s punk or not.
Meet the Font Detectives Who Ferret Out Fakery
Glenn Fleishman, writing for Wired:
What does international political corruption have to do with type design? Normally, nothing—but that’s little consolation for the former prime minister of Pakistan. When Nawaz Sharif and his family came under scrutiny earlier this year thanks to revelations in the Panama Papers, the smoking gun in the case was a font. The prime minister’s daughter, Maryam Sharif, provided an exculpatory document that had been typeset in Calibri—a Microsoft font that was only released for general distribution nearly a year after the document had allegedly been signed and dated.
A “Fontgate” raged.
Kevin Devine Officially Announces ‘We Are Who We’ve Always Been’
Kevin Devine’s We Are Who We’ve Always Been will be going up for pre-order tomorrow. The album features reimagined and acoustic versions of songs from Kevin Devine’s 2016 album, Instigator.
Read More “Kevin Devine Officially Announces ‘We Are Who We’ve Always Been’”
The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Matt Bellinger
Jason Heller, writing about the passing of Planes Mistaken for Stars’ Matt Bellinger:
A basic obituary isn’t enough to sum up a life, let alone one that had as much impact as Matt’s.
When I met Matt in 1998, I had yet to even dream of being a journalist. Back then, I worked the cash register at Wax Trax, while Matt and the other members of Planes lived in Peoria, Illinois, where they had grown up. Their singer-guitarist, Gared O’Donnell, visited Denver frequently in the ’90s to see his mom, who lived in Colorado.
PUP Featured on Carson Daly
PUP’s performance at the High & Low fest was broadcast on Carson Daly.
iOS 11: The MacStories Review
iOS 11 is out today. As always, Federico Viticci over at MacStories has a fantastic review:
But perhaps more importantly, unlike iOS 10, iOS 11 presents a cohesive narrative for both the iPad and iPhone. A story where, for the first time in years, the iPad is informing some of the design principles and features of the iPhone’s software. Even from different angles, and each with its own past struggles, both acts in iOS 11 end up asking the same question:
Where does the modern computer go next?