Author: Jasper Bruce

NME

Drake is partnering with Live Nation to open History, a new live entertainment venue, in his hometown of Toronto.

According to Live Nation Canada, the 2500-seat venue will open its doors later this year with the goal of providing a “premier entertainment experience” for patrons.

“Some of my most memorable shows were playing smaller rooms like History,” Drake said in a press release.

“I wanted to take those memories and what I learned to create an incredible experience for both the artists and the fans.”

Live Nation said History has been in development for three years, with construction set to commence later this summer.

Once complete, the venue plans to host 200 concerts and events annually. The facility will feature customisable seating, allowing the space to be reconfigured for concerts, galas, live entertainment and community programs.

“We saw an opportunity to bring Toronto a great new venue, and we have so much gratitude and respect for Drake teaming up with us to bring it to life in the best way possible,” said Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment.

“History will offer guests up-close experiences with their favourite artists that are unrivaled in Toronto. We take pride in and expect History to become an important part of the community,” added Riley O’Connor, chairman of Live Nation Canada.

Live Nation will release further details about events at History in the coming weeks and months.

Drake has a long history of entrepreneurial endeavours in Toronto. In 2015, he partnered with chef Susur Lee to open Fring’s restaurant in the city.

He has been a global ambassador for NBA team the Toronto Raptors since 2013 and in 2012, he co-founded the Toronto-based record label OVO Sound.

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NME

Season two of Netflix’s sleeper hit sketch series I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson will premiere on July 6.

Conceived by Detroiters star and co-creator Robinson, the show’s first season landed on Netflix in April 2019 and featured guest appearances from Will Forte, Andy Samberg, Vanessa Bayer, Cecily Strong and the late Fred Willard, among others.

The series was renewed for a second season in June 2019 but had its release date delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This week, Netflix released the trailer for season two, which features Robinson and frequent collaborator Sam Richardson performing a medley of songs from the first season.

Accompanied by guitarist Phredley Brown, the pair perform ‘Friday Night’, ‘Baby of the Year’ and ‘Moon River Rock’, among others. Watch the trailer below:

“We are very excited to be working with The Lonely Island, Irony Point, and Netflix to make another season of I Think You Should Leave. We are so thankful we get to do it again,” co-creator Zach Kanin said when the series was renewed.

Comprised partly of sketches rejected during Robinson’s time as a writer for Saturday Night Live, the first series of I Think You Should Leave garnered critical praise for its bold style of humour and its offbeat reimaginings of everyday situations.

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NME

Oscar Lang has shared his third single of the year, ‘21st Century Hobby’.

The track dropped on June 8 and follows on from Lang’s previously released tracks ‘Are You Happy?’ and ‘Stuck’, both of which hit streaming services earlier this year.

On ‘21st Century Hobby’, Lang pairs modern lyrical content with retro production to scintillating effect.

Watch the track’s official visualiser below.

“‘21st Century Hobby’ is a tune based on the idea of society’s obsession with sharing your life online and comparing yourself to other people,” Lang explained in a press release.

“There was one point where I was spending 13 hours a week on social media, which equated to about a month every year.

“That was a really dark time for me – I always thought that it would never affect me, but it took some time to realise that it was subconsciously affecting my mental health.”

‘21st Century Hobby’ will feature on the singer-songwriter’s debut album, ‘Chew The Scenery’, when it drops on July 16.

The record follows on from Lang’s EP ‘Antidote To Being Bored’, which arrived in December last year.

Lang recorded the new album in Liverpool in the space of one month.

“It was a nice break away from the tedious lockdown in the UK as I got to spend a month away with my mates doing what I love,” he said.

“I think you can hear that built-up boredom being released on the record.”

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NME

Marilyn Manson is the subject of an arrest warrant issued in New Hampshire for two counts of Class A misdemeanour simple assault.

The Gilford Police Department allege Manson – real name Brian Hugh Warner – assaulted a videographer during a concert he performed at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on August 18, 2019.

Per a statement from Gilford Police, the videographer had been hired to film the concert and was located in the stage pit area of the venue when the alleged assaults took place.

Police allege Manson, his agent and legal counsel “have been aware of the warrant for some time” but that the musician has not returned to New Hampshire to face the charges.

If found guilty, Manson could face less than a year in prison and a fine of £1,400 (US$2,000) or less.

“The alleged assaults are not sexual in nature as has been asked by several other media outlets due to a number of other allegations made against Mr. Warner,” Gilford Police wrote in a statement on May 25.

In a statement to NME, Manson’s lawyer Howard King said: “It is no secret to anyone who has attended a Marilyn Manson concert that he likes to be provocative on stage, especially in front of a camera.”

“This misdemeanor claim was pursued after we received a demand from a venue videographer for more than $35,000 after a small amount of spit came into contact with their arm. After we asked for evidence of any alleged damages, we never received a reply.

“This whole claim is ludicrous, but we remain committed to cooperating with authorities, as we have done throughout.”

Since January this year, several women, including his former partner Evan Rachel Wood, have publicly accused Manson of sexual abuse and misconduct – allegations he denied in February.

Manson has been sued twice over allegations of sexual assault, most recently by his former assistant, Ashley Walters. In April, he was sued by actor Esmé Bianco over allegations of sexual assault, physical abuse and human trafficking. The Game of Thrones star first went public with allegations about Manson’s behaviour in February.

Manson has denied the allegations made by both Walters and Bianco, with his lawyer King calling the claims by Bianco “provably false”.

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NME

The Mountain Goats will release their next album, ‘Dark In Here’ on June 25.

The record is set to feature new single ‘Mobile’, which hit streaming services today (April 20).

The Mountain Goats recorded ‘Dark In Here’ at Alabama’s Muscle Shoals studios in a week’s break between the sessions for the group’s 2020 records, ‘Getting Into Knives’ and ‘Songs For Pierre Chuvin’.

‘Dark In Here’ is available to pre-order now.

Listen to ‘Mobile’, the first taste of the album, below:

Per a press release, The Mountain Goats revealed most of the songs on ‘Dark In Here’ were recorded three times apiece during the week in the studio.

“I’m pretty sure the performance of ‘Mobile’ you’re hearing in is a second take,” bassist Peter Hughes said.

Hughes likened ‘Mobile’ to Herman Melville’s magnum opus, Moby Dick, which he read during quarantine.

“One of my quarantine projects after getting home was going back to Moby Dick and actually finishing it for once, and I was amused to encounter early on the retelling of the story of Jonah.

“If Melville gives it to us as a fiery 19th century New Bedford sermon, what ‘Mobile’ offers might be understood as Father Mapple’s modern-day Gulf Coast flip side, the breeziness of McFarlane’s electric guitar and Matt Douglas’ accordion belying its protagonist’s guilty conscience.”

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NME

Every Time I Die have announced a nine-date tour of the UK for winter next year.

The New York rockers will hit the road with The Bronx, Jesus Piece and sanction, playing shows in major cities in January and February.

The quartet of heavy acts will kick off proceedings in Brighton before wrapping up in London nine days later.

Tickets are on sale from this Friday (April 16) at 9am, with full details listed below.

• READ MORE: Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley talks 20 years as a hardcore hero and the legacy of the Warped Tour

“Ah yeah, UK!! We’re beyond stoked to announce we’ll be heading out on tour with Every Time I Die, Jesus Piece and sanction,” The Bronx wrote on Twitter yesterday (April 12).

Every Time I Die released their most recent track, ‘AWOL’, in February. Before that, the Buffalo-based five-piece dropped two singles, ‘A Colossal Wreck’ and ‘Desperate Pleasures’ in December of last year.

The group’s touring compadres have also been busy releasing music in 2021. The Bronx put out the single ‘White Shadow’ last month, while sanction shared their third record, ‘With Blood…’, in January.

‘White Shadow’ will appear on The Bronx’s forthcoming record, ‘Bronx VI’, set for release in August.

Every Time I Die’s 2022 tour dates with The Bronx, Jesus Piece and sanction are:

JANUARY
Thursday 27 — Brighton, Chalk
Friday 28 — Nottingham, Rock City
Saturday 29 — Manchester, O2 Ritz
Sunday 30 — Liverpool, Invisible Wind Factory

FEBRUARY
Tuesday 1 — Glasgow, SWG3 Galvanisers
Wednesday 2 — Newcastle, Boiler Shop
Thursday 3 — Leeds, Stylus
Friday 4 — Bristol, SWX
Saturday 5 — London, Roundhouse

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NME

Young Thug says his label, YSL Records, will release ‘Slime Language 2’ later this week, taking to social media to make the announcement.

The rapper — real name Jeffery Lamar Williams — had kept quiet about the compilation album’s release date since announcing it last year.

After teasing it for an August release last year, only to double back on those plans, Thug has revealed the follow-up to 2018’s ‘Slime Language’ will now drop on April 16.

In his post announcing its release date, Thug also shared the album’s cover art, which features a handful of those associated with YSL Records.

‘Slime Language 2’ will feature Thug’s previously released singles ‘Take It To Trial (feat. Yak Gotti)’ and ‘That Go! (feat. T-Shyne)’, which dropped in December and February respectively.

‘GFU’, a single by YSL collaborators Sheck Wes, Yak Gotti and Yung Kayo is also set to appear on the record.

When he hasn’t been working on material for ‘Slime Language 2’, Young Thug has kept busy so far throughout 2021.

He released his single with the late Juice WRLD, ‘Bad Boy’, in January, alongside a music video filmed prior to the latter’s death in 2019.

Also in January, Thug appeared on Zara Larsson’s track ‘Talk About Love’, which is set for inclusion on her forthcoming album, ‘Poster Girl’.

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NME

Justin Bieber has surprised fans by sharing a new EP, ‘Freedom’, on Easter Sunday (April 4).

The EP appeared on streaming services around 10pm GMT. It features six new songs, with all bar one boasting appearances from guest artists.

‘Freedom’ includes the title track (feat. Beam), ‘All She Wrote (feat. Brandon Love and Chandler Moore)’, ‘We’re In This Together’, ‘Where You Go I Follow (feat. Pink Sweats, Chandler Moore and Judah Smith)’, ‘Where Do I Fit In (feat. Tori Kelly, Chandler Moore and Judah Smith)’ and ‘Afraid to Say (feat. Lauren Walters)’.

Shortly after its release, Bieber took to social media to announce ‘Freedom’ had arrived.

“Freedom on all platforms,” he wrote.

Listen to the EP in full below:

‘Freedom’ arrives hot on the heels of ‘Justice’, Bieber’s sixth studio album.

• READ MORE: Justin Bieber – ‘Justice’ review: pop star finds his purpose again

The record dropped in March and was met with critical and popular acclaim. NME gave ‘Justice’ a four-star review, writing “Last year’s ‘Changes’ saw the singer take a wrong turn, but here he’s back at his best, tapping into his personal experiences – with powerful results”.

“With bangers, ballads and heartfelt moments, the hopeless romantic with a penchant for self-reflection and tackling world issues is back,” the review read.

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NME

Nike has filed a federal trademark lawsuit against the company that produced a line of “Satan Shoes” in collaboration with Lil Nas X.

The shoes are customised Nike Air Max 97s and were allegedly designed without the sportswear giant’s permission.

Brooklyn-based MSCHF is responsible for the footwear, which features a drop of human blood mixed with ink in an air bubble on each shoe. According to The New York Times, six MSCHF employees donated blood for use in the project.

Each shoe also contains a pentagram ornament, an inverted cross and the inscription “Luke 10:18”, referencing the Bible verse in which Satan falls from heaven.

Appropriately enough, each pair were available for $1,018. All 666 units sold out in under a minute.

Lil Nas X released the shoes as a tie-in with his latest track, ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)’. The shoes emulate the satanic theme of the song’s music video, which sees the rapper sliding into hell via a fireman’s pole and giving Satan a lap dance.

The clip was met with criticism upon its release last week, to which Lil Nas X responded, “me sliding down a CGI pole isn’t what’s destroying society.”

“Nike files the lawsuit to maintain control of its brand, to protect its intellectual property, and to clear the confusion and dilution in the marketplace by setting the record straight – Nike has not and does not approve or authorize MSCHF’s customized Satan Shoes,” Nike’s lawsuit, filed on Monday (March 29), read.

“Nike requests that the Court immediately and permanently stop MSCHF from fulfilling all orders for its unauthorized Satan Shoes”.

Lil Nas X has not been named as a defendant in the lawsuit, but has poked fun at Nike’s decision to sue on social media.

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NME

Megan Thee Stallion has donated £36,300 ($50,000 USD) to the victims of this month’s Atlanta spa shootings.

The rapper pledged the money to Advancing Justice Atlanta, an organisation “protecting the civil and human rights of Asian Americans in Georgia and the Southeast”.

In an Instagram post, Megan Thee Stallion said she was “heartbroken” by the March 16 shootings, which left eight dead, including six women of Asian descent. Meg called the shootings “a senseless, violent attack against Asian Americans”.

“We stand in solidarity with all Asian Americans in saying that enough is enough,” she said.

The rapper made the donation in collaboration with Fashion Nova and journalist May Lee.

Last week, actor Ken Jeong also donated $50,000 USD to the victims of the shootings. The actor, known for his roles in the sitcom Community and The Hangover film series, made five $10,000 donations to GoFundMe pages set up for families of the shootings’ victims.

“Anti-Asian American crime has risen almost 150 per cent in the last year, while overall hate crime went down 7 per cent,” Jeong said in a recent interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

“Enough is enough. We’re just fed up”.

Last week, it was announced that Megan Thee Stallion would appear at this year’s Parklife Festival, set to take place on September 11-12. Dave, Disclosure, Burna Boy and more are also booked to appear at the Heaton Park event.

Earlier this month, Meg and Beyoncé‘s ‘Savage (Beyoncé remix)’ took home the Grammy for Best Rap Performance at this year’s ceremony. The two artists became the first pair of women in Grammy history to win the award. Megan was also named Best New Artist.

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