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.
Sponsor: Thank You to Blink-182; ‘California’ in Stores Now
My thanks to Blink-182 for sponsoring Chorus this week. They released their new album, California, yesterday and I’ve gotta say: I’m impressed. I’ve been toying around with a write-up about the album that I may post in the foreseeable future, but the fact is that I think this is the best Blink’s sounded in years. Great, fun, summer pop-punk music.
You can find the album now on all streaming platforms, iTunes, and in stores. The album is making a run for the #1 spot next week so if you’re into it — definitely give it a spin (or ten). Thanks again to Blink for sponsoring the website this week. Hilarious to think that I once built a Blink-182 fan-page, and here we are, 20-something years later, and they’re sponsoring the site. It’s awesome.
Searching for a Good Reason to Remove the Headphone Jack
Jason Snell, writing at Six Colors:
I have a point of view on all this, but I’m trying very hard not to get mad about something that hasn’t happened. This is a tech unicorn, an unannounced feature on a nonexistent product, and it’s important to keep that in mind. Still, it’s not a bad intellectual exercise to ponder why Apple might make such a move, and what the ramifications might be.
The speculative conclusion at the end about the rumored “AirPods” sounds right to me. What I really hope for is that any wireless headphones that Apple ship don’t use Bluetooth, but instead use a new, maybe proprietary, technology along with Bluetooth. Bluetooth is a massive pain in the ass to use with multiple devices and flaky as hell.
One thing I have seen when I’ve talked about this with some non-techy friends: they either don’t care at all and just use whatever headphones come with their phone or they really care and find this to be an absolute abomination. I don’t see much middle ground. We discussed this whole thing in more detail on this week’s episode of Encore because it really does fascinate me to no end. The tradeoffs seem almost unbearably negative, but yet it seems so inevitable at the same time.
Sturgill Simpson and Colbert Visit Waffle House
Sturgill Simpson and Stephen Colbert visit Waffle House in a recent episode after their joke song got added to the chain’s jukebox.
Jamie xx – “Gosh” Video
Jamie xx’s new video for “Gosh” is up on Apple Music.
Blink-182’s GMA Summer Concert Video
Blink-182’s performance at the GMA concert series is up on YouTube. Also, I recommend reading Dan Ozzi’s telling of his trip to this show:
When the alarm goes off at 5, the immediate remorse sinks in. That’s a strange feeling, to wake up to sense of regret. I put on my most Warped Tour clothes—a hat and shorts, both by Volcom, the brand of choice for men in their thirties who swear they could totally still do a kickflip.
Apple Responds to Spotify
Apple has responded to Spotify’s claim that they’ve been using their app store review process “as a weapon.” You can read the full response below, and it’s definitely worth reading. It’s basically the most business way of saying: “Spotify, you’re full of shit” you’ll ever see.
The Shins Finishing Up New Album
Tycho – “Division”
Tycho has shared a new track called “Division,” which is streaming below, and uploaded a mini-documentary putting the Awake-era to rest.
AFI Confirms New Album is Coming
A video interview with AFI confirms they are working on a new album.
Demi Lovato – “Body Say”
Demi Lovato has released her new song “Body Say.”
Matt Skiba Discusses ‘California’
Apple Exploring Tidal Acquisition
Daisuke Wakabayashi, Hannah Karp, and Patience Haggin, writing for the Wall Street Journal on how Apple is apparently looking into buying Tidal:
The talks are ongoing and may not result in a deal, these people said. Apple is exploring the idea of bringing on Tidal to bolster its Apple Music service because of Tidal’s strong ties to popular artists such as Kanye West and Madonna.
I’m not sure if this makes much sense, but Nick Heer nails what has to be the thinking:
One of the ways they differentiate themselves is to swoon artists enough for them to make their newest releases exclusive to a platform for a short amount of time before it’s generally released. A bunch of these exclusives over the past year went to Apple Music, but those they didn’t get — the newest albums from Kanye West, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and other high-profile artists — all went to Tidal. If Apple were to maintain those relationships post-acquisition and keep the ones they have, they’d have the exclusive release market effectively cornered.
Wreck-It Ralph Getting a Sequel
Wreck-It Ralph will be getting a sequel in 2018.
The Junior Varsity Announce Reunion Tour
The Junior Varsity have announced some reunion tour dates. You’ll find those below.