Category: news

Ukrainian band Antytila share footage of “one day from the war” from Kyiv

“We will do this until we get the victory of course”

The post Ukrainian band Antytila share footage of “one day from the war” from Kyiv appeared first on NME.

NME

Ukrainian band Antytila have posted a video with footage they’ve captured from the frontlines during “one day from the war” in Kyiv. Watch the video below.

The pop-rock band are currently serving as soldiers in their war-torn country. “We are driving from our positions in the frontline directly to our base to do one important thing,” frontman Taras Topolia says at the start of the video adding: “We are situated in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and I wanted to show one day from the war”.

Topolia goes on to explain the band’s task “to give first aid to wounded soldiers” as well as protective gear, as he pans the cell phone camera over to them preparing gas masks and chemical protection suits.

The video also shows the band prepping ammunition and standing by a World War II bunker, with the frontman commenting that “after 80 years, the Ukrainian army and Ukrainian people [are] fighting again, the Russian occupiers.”

At one point Toplia stops in front of multiple crumbling homes, saying: “Destroyed by the Russian fires, houses and thousands have been killed by the Russians, troops, Ukrainian people. You should know this, that we have no choice but to defend our country, and we will do this until we get the victory of course.”

Formed in 2007, Antytila have released six studio albums and are a stadium act in their home country. They were planning another stadium tour there this summer before the war started.

“There are a lot of social messages in our music,” Toplia told NME earlier this week. “We’re not just for entertainment – we like to say something important through our music. We try to show people some light and say that everything will be alright, even if it seems hard right now.”

He continued: “We try to explain to our fans how to resist and live through dark times, as much as we love to write songs for fun and dancing.”

At the time, the band also told NME, that they were in fear of a chemical attack from Russian forces – but were united and resolved to defend their country.

Topias also said that he was “collecting the pictures and emotions from this war inside of me”, adding that: “When Ukraine gets the victory, we will write a lot of new songs and we’ll tell a lot of stories about this time of our lives.”

Antytila made headlines earlier this month after posting a plea to Ed Sheeran, asking the singer-songwriter to allow them to play the ‘Concert For Ukraine’ fundraising event remotely from Kyiv where they are defending the capital against Russian invaders.

Sheeran later responded by saying that “I love you, I stand with you” to all Ukrainians and that he “couldn’t wait” to check the band’s music out. However, they were denied the chance to perform – with organisers claiming they were “only able to focus on the humanitarian situation, not the politics or the military conflict”.

The star-studded concert two-hour concert which took place in Birmingham on March 29, and raised £12.2million for war relief efforts.

The post Ukrainian band Antytila share footage of “one day from the war” from Kyiv appeared first on NME.

Joni Mitchell to Make Rare Public Appearance at the Grammys

The iconic songwriter will be on hand to present an award.

Joni Mitchell to Make Rare Public Appearance at the Grammys
Alex Young

Consequence

Joni Mitchell will make a rare public appearance at Sunday’s Grammy Awards. The legendary songwriter will be on hand to present an award during Sunday’s ceremony in Las Vegas, the Record Academy announced on Friday. Mitchell, 78, has mostly remained out of the public spotlight since suffering a brain aneurysm…

Please click the link below to read the full article.

Joni Mitchell to Make Rare Public Appearance at the Grammys
Alex Young

Patti Smith says she plans to release one last album

Smith’s last release was 2012’s ‘Banga’

The post Patti Smith says she plans to release one last album appeared first on NME.

NME

Patti Smith has said she has plans to release “one more album”, with the 75-year-old punk poet laureate revealing she’s been working on new material toward a 12th studio effort.

In an interview with The Guardian published today (April 1), the esteemed singer said, “I do have plans” when asked if there would be a follow-up to her latest album, 2012’s ‘Banga’.

“I’ve written a lot of songs,” Smith said. “I’d like to do one more album and my record company, Columbia, has very generously left the door open.”

With four albums to her name, including 1975’s historic ‘Horses’, Smith went into semi-retirement back in 1980 to focus on raising her children. “I was at the pinnacle of real success and financial success,” she said, “but I wasn’t growing as an artist or human being.”

Patti Smith performs at the Royal Albert Hall (Credit: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

Emerging in 1988 to release ‘Dream Of Life’, Smith would go on to release six more albums. She likened making her 11th album, ‘Banga’, to the feeling she had while recording ‘Horses’.

“‘Constantine’s Dream’, the long improvised piece at the end, touched a lot of things that concern me – art, the future of mankind, climate change, the horrors done to our indigenous people, and love.

“I love the cover,” she added, “which was shot on the fly by my friend Stephen Sebring.”

Smith also discussed the artwork for ‘Horses’. Given black and white treatment by its photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe, and an androgynous pose and wardrobe, Smith depicted a significant departure from the promotional images of female vocalists that were typical at that time.

“I wanted Robert [Mapplethorpe] to do the album cover because he wasn’t known and I wanted people to see his work,” she said. “I had no idea that it would have such impact. Robert took 12 pictures and I think it was the eighth and he just said: ‘This is the one with the magic.'”

When asked what her definition of punk rock is, Smith replied: “Freedom”.

Last month, Smith appeared alongside Gogo Bordello at a Ukraine fundraiser in New York City. There, Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz – who was born in Ukraine – co-hosted the benefit at NYC’s City Winery. Proceeds raised from the event were given to Come Back Alive, a foundation providing support to the Ukrainian armed forces.

This July, Smith will headline a new one-day festival in London, Higher Ground Festival. Nadine Shah, Connie Constance, Spelling and Joviale are also set to perform.

The post Patti Smith says she plans to release one last album appeared first on NME.

Ariana Grande Pledges $1.5 Million to Fight “Disgraceful Bills” Targeting Trans Community

Grande made the announcement on International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Ariana Grande Pledges $1.5 Million to Fight “Disgraceful Bills” Targeting Trans Community
Wren Graves

Consequence

Ariana Grande is pledging to match up to $1.5 million to fight back against a rising wave of anti-trans legislation. The pop superstar made the announcement on Thursday, March 31st, which was also International Transgender Day of Visibility. In an Instagram post, Grande wrote, “right now there are hundreds of…

Please click the link below to read the full article.

Ariana Grande Pledges $1.5 Million to Fight “Disgraceful Bills” Targeting Trans Community
Wren Graves

‘Abandoned’ developer addresses cancellation rumours and missed payment allegations

“We will release ‘Abandoned: Prologue’ when it’s stable, good and ready,” says Blue Box Game Studios

The post ‘Abandoned’ developer addresses cancellation rumours and missed payment allegations appeared first on NME.

NME

Blue Box Game Studios has denied rumours that it is cancelling upcoming horror game Abandoned, while studio founder Hasan Kahraman has addressed claims that a musician was left unpaid for their work on the game.

Yesterday (March 31), Blue Box Game Studios shared a statement on Twitter that said it has been “bombarded with requests and questions regarding the development status for Abandoned.”

Responding to rumours that Abandoned had been cancelled, the studio labelled them as “false” though said it has been delayed due to the team “underestimating our development roadmap.”

“Therefore we have delayed the reveal and the release for Abandoned: Prologue. We will release Abandoned: Prologue when it’s stable, good and ready,” added Blue Box, which offered “sincere apologies” to fans.

The statement was issued after Blue Box Game Studios deleted a range of marketing posts surrounding Abandoned, which prompted speculation that the game had been quietly cancelled.

This has also brought to light a dispute between musician Christopher Schierbock and Hasan Kahraman, founder of Blue Box Game Studios.

Schierbock claimed that his band, The Eyes Inside, approached Kahraman to ask if he would be interested in using one of their tracks for Abandoned. In emails verified by NME, Kahraman then requested different versions of the song, and later added “we will use the soundtrack in the game and maybe in the teaser” – though it’s unclear if this was conditional to the studio agreeing to use the song.

Schierbock says that his band “worked like 50-60 hours” to create a song to accommodate Kahraman’s requests, and provided NME with a copy of said song. After submitting the piece, Schierbock claims Kahraman became difficult to get in touch with, however today (April 1) the pair discussed the matter over a phone call.

Speaking to NME, Kahraman shared that “I did mention [to] him that it might be used for the game but after all the song was too dark for the game,” and said the issues raised by Schierbock were “a result of my own miscommunication.”

“To be clear he never made music for the game, we [were] just talking about it. But he was waiting too long for an answer,” added Kahraman.

Since speaking today, Kahraman says he has “offered [Schierbock] and his friend a fee” as well as an offer for Schierbock to work as a “graphic designer” on Abandoned. Schierbock has confirmed that he received an offer for work, though said the fee Kahraman offered is to be paid “when the game is released.”

Back in 2021, Kahraman sat down with NME to explain what players could expect from Abandoned.

In other gaming news, four US Senators have accused Microsoft of “protecting” Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who has faced repeated calls to resign from employees within the company.

The post ‘Abandoned’ developer addresses cancellation rumours and missed payment allegations appeared first on NME.

‘Sonic 2’ stars reflect on original design controversy: “They were right”

Sonic 2 stars James Marsden and Ben Schwartz have commented on the original character design controversy – take a look at the interview above. When the trailer for the first Sonic the Hedgehog film was shared, fans criticised the character design of Sonic which eventually prompted a redesign before the film came out. READ MORE: ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ […]

The post ‘Sonic 2’ stars reflect on original design controversy: “They were right” appeared first on NME.

NME

Sonic 2 stars James Marsden and Ben Schwartz have commented on the original character design controversy – take a look at the interview above.

When the trailer for the first Sonic the Hedgehog film was shared, fans criticised the character design of Sonic which eventually prompted a redesign before the film came out.

James Marden, who plays Tom in both films, told NME it “didn’t throw me off entirely” but acknowledged the online backlash was “a world I wasn’t really used to.”

He added: “Obviously this movie hinges on getting that right, that’s a huge component of the whole thing, and I think we were all in sync with this idea that this is an opportunity to take something that’s maybe viewed as negative and turn it not only into a positive by getting the animation right but also the message you’re sending to the fans that we’re listening to you.

“You want to write your own story and surprise people, you have to stay true to your vision, but this one is so important to get right. I thought it was amazing for Jeff [Fowler] the director to come out and say, ‘We’re listening to you, we hear you, we’re making adjustments.’ I think that was pretty unprecedented. But they were right. We just want to get it right for the people who love this character.”

(Credit: Paramount Pictures)

In a three-star NME review, Paul Bradshaw said of the first film: “Schwartz’s Sonic is far less annoying than he looks, and the redesign – prompted by a righteous Internet backlash to the first trailer – means he doesn’t resemble a nightmarish blue child anymore, rather a cute little cartoon animal that strangely wears gloves. The overtime put into the new CGI obviously paid off in other ways too – with big money action scenes looking spectacular in slow-mo.

“Far more charming, coherent and less chaotic than expected, Sonic The Hedgehog succeeds where Cats failed and successfully reverses its pre-determined narrative set out by the Internet.

“It might be weirdly pitched and occasionally messy, but it’s hard to hate a film with this much spirit.”

Sonic 2 is in cinemas now.

The post ‘Sonic 2’ stars reflect on original design controversy: “They were right” appeared first on NME.

SALIVA Is Back With New Single ‘Revelation Man’

SALIVA has released a new single, “Revelation Man”. The band’s first new track in four years, is very personal to singer Bobby Amaru, who states: “‘Revelation Man’ is about a guy who couldn’t accept the struggles of his own addictions. He had to hit ro…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

SALIVA has released a new single, "Revelation Man". The band's first new track in four years, is very personal to singer Bobby Amaru, who states: "'Revelation Man' is about a guy who couldn't accept the struggles of his own addictions. He had to hit rock bottom to see the light. When I say 'had to die to find a revelation,' I don't mean dying literally but there were moments in my life where I felt like I had. It particularly relates with me because of my sobriety of three and a half years. I went through a lot of things before I got sober." SALIVA will continue to release new songs and ultimately a full album in 2022. The new music has a contemporary feel but sticks to the blue-collar roots that their fans love. As previously reported, SALIVA will reunite with its original singer Josey Scott for a one-off appearance at this year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival, set to take place September 8-11 at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. Scott left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the group, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career. He was quickly replaced by Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA's last four releases: "In It To Win It" (2013), "Rise Up" (2014), "Love, Lies & Therapy" (2016) and "10 Lives" (2018). SALIVA released six albums with Scott and tasted platinum success and a Grammy nomination for its first big hit, "Your Disease". Last May, SALIVA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, "Every Six Seconds", with a special project called "Every Twenty Years", an EP of classic songs re-recorded with Amaru.

SALIVA Is Back With New Single ‘Revelation Man’

SALIVA has released a new single, “Revelation Man”. The band’s first new track in four years, is very personal to singer Bobby Amaru, who states: “‘Revelation Man’ is about a guy who couldn’t accept the struggles of his own addictions. He had to hit ro…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

SALIVA has released a new single, "Revelation Man". The band's first new track in four years, is very personal to singer Bobby Amaru, who states: "'Revelation Man' is about a guy who couldn't accept the struggles of his own addictions. He had to hit rock bottom to see the light. When I say 'had to die to find a revelation,' I don't mean dying literally but there were moments in my life where I felt like I had. It particularly relates with me because of my sobriety of three and a half years. I went through a lot of things before I got sober." SALIVA will continue to release new songs and ultimately a full album in 2022. The new music has a contemporary feel but sticks to the blue-collar roots that their fans love. As previously reported, SALIVA will reunite with its original singer Josey Scott for a one-off appearance at this year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival, set to take place September 8-11 at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. Scott left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the group, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career. He was quickly replaced by Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA's last four releases: "In It To Win It" (2013), "Rise Up" (2014), "Love, Lies & Therapy" (2016) and "10 Lives" (2018). SALIVA released six albums with Scott and tasted platinum success and a Grammy nomination for its first big hit, "Your Disease". Last May, SALIVA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, "Every Six Seconds", with a special project called "Every Twenty Years", an EP of classic songs re-recorded with Amaru.

SALIVA Is Back With New Single ‘Revelation Man’

SALIVA has released a new single, “Revelation Man”. The band’s first new track in four years, is very personal to singer Bobby Amaru, who states: “‘Revelation Man’ is about a guy who couldn’t accept the struggles of his own addictions. He had to hit ro…

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

SALIVA has released a new single, "Revelation Man". The band's first new track in four years, is very personal to singer Bobby Amaru, who states: "'Revelation Man' is about a guy who couldn't accept the struggles of his own addictions. He had to hit rock bottom to see the light. When I say 'had to die to find a revelation,' I don't mean dying literally but there were moments in my life where I felt like I had. It particularly relates with me because of my sobriety of three and a half years. I went through a lot of things before I got sober." SALIVA will continue to release new songs and ultimately a full album in 2022. The new music has a contemporary feel but sticks to the blue-collar roots that their fans love. As previously reported, SALIVA will reunite with its original singer Josey Scott for a one-off appearance at this year's Blue Ridge Rock Festival, set to take place September 8-11 at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. Scott left SALIVA at the end of 2011 after 15 years with the group, reportedly to pursue a solo Christian music career. He was quickly replaced by Amaru, who can be heard on SALIVA's last four releases: "In It To Win It" (2013), "Rise Up" (2014), "Love, Lies & Therapy" (2016) and "10 Lives" (2018). SALIVA released six albums with Scott and tasted platinum success and a Grammy nomination for its first big hit, "Your Disease". Last May, SALIVA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its breakthrough major label debut, "Every Six Seconds", with a special project called "Every Twenty Years", an EP of classic songs re-recorded with Amaru.
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