Posts made in July 2020

Benee – “Night Garden”

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BENEE RELEASES NEW SINGLE “NIGHT GARDEN” FEAT. KENNY BEATS & BAKAR

“SUPALONELY” ACCUMULATES OVER 1 BILLION STREAMS WORLDWIDE

ANNOUNCED AS APPLE MUSIC UP NEXT ARTIST AND FIRST EVER NEW ZEALAND UP NEXT ARTIST

RECENT APPEARANCES ON THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON, THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW AND SELECTED AS MTV PUSH ARTIST

Today, New Zealand’s sensation BENEE shares her new single, “Night Garden” feat. Kenny Beats & Bakar, out today—listen HERE and watch the lyric video HERE!

For the track, the songstress recruited tastemaker-approved and Elton John-and Virgil Abloh-endorsed London artist Bakar and influential hip-hop producer and beatsmith Kenny Beats [Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs, Denzel Curry, Rico Nasty]. Together, these three disruptors cook up an entrancing and engaging anthem. Unmistakable and unpredictable production from Beats twists through airy guitar as BENEE hums the haunting hook, “In the night garden, things are out there creeping.” Meanwhile, Bakar turns up with a clever and catchy cameo of his own. The track unites three diverse and dynamic talents from three cultures on one broodingly bold bop unlike anything else any of them have done.

The session with Kenny Beats in his legendary LA studio The Cave was one of BENEE’s first experiences recording music outside of New Zealand. She explains, “It was awesome working with him, he was so fast making the beat that it was also probably the fastest I have ever had to write a song ha ha!”

Knowing she wanted a feature on the track, she turned to Bakar, who she says “has the coolest voice, so I felt it would be sick to have him on it!”

“Night Garden” follows BENEE’S breakthrough smash hit “Supalonely” feat. Gus Dapperton, which has received critical acclaim across the globe. The song has amassed 1.3 billion streams worldwide and is currently charting at #13 on the U.S. Top 40 Radio Chart. Recently, BENEE performed the song with Gus Dapperton on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Both performances were shot socially distant, but with a twist (and a few special guests). In addition, BENEE was selected as MTV’s Push Artist for the month of June—check out her stripped-back performance of “Supalonley” shot in New Zealand’s Auckland Art Gallery HERE.

Not to mention, “Supalonely” feat. Gus Dapperton is now Gold Certified in the U.S., as well as Platinum Certified in seven other countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Mexico and more. It peaked in the Top 10 on Spotify’s Global Top 50 Chart and BENEE currently sits as “The 86th Most Listened To Artist In The World” on the platform. Within a short time, BENEE has gone from canvasing Soundcloud with covers out of her teenage bedroom to rising on the charts and amassing over 1.7 billion streams across her catalogue.

This week, Apple Music announced BENEE as the newest Up Next artist, Apple Music’s monthly artist initiative geared towards identifying, showcasing and elevating rising talent. BENEE makes history as Apple Music’s first New Zealand Up Next artist. The global campaign includes the release of a short film shot entirely on iPhone 11 Pro and a sit-down interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. The vast Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent. BENEE’s Apple Music Up Next film is available to watch HERE and her Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe is available to watch HERE.

Recently, BENEE announced her return to touring with a headline tour across New Zealand this fall, which includes a sold-out show and recently added second show at her hometown Auckland’s Spark Arena on October 16th and 17th. Tickets are available now HERE.

Stay tuned for more from BENEE very soon!

ABOUT BENEE:

From her hometown in Auckland, New Zealand, breakthrough popstar Stella Bennett, aka BENEE, remains unphased, unchanged and almost impervious to the cataclysmic success coming her way since releasing her debut EP, FIRE ON MARZZ, last summer. Already her tale is one of eye-watering statistics and achievements. Her story is international and expanding on the hour, across modern and traditional platforms. Her audience seems endless. BENEE, however, remains easygoing, centered and—most importantly—herself. It’s just over six months since the release of her second EP of 2019, STELLA & STEVE, garnered knockout reviews. Breakthrough track “Supalonely” is a slice of upbeat and original pop—like its creator, a little exotic and cheerfully weird. The song hits like a ray of sunshine, jammed to the hilt with personality and punctuated by BENEE’s verbal tics. BENEE’s music runs the gamut of everything pop can be in 2020 and is filled with her quirks in the experimental indie sounds and the cartoon-ish sprawl of her lyrical imagery. Her fans have a naturally intimate
connection with her deceptively easy-going pop and that thing she still loves to call her “BENEE-VISION”.

Follow BENEE:

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website

ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS:

A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Drake, Florence + the Machine, Greta Van Fleet, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack Johnson, James Blake, James Bay, Jessie J, John Mellencamp, Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Kid Cudi, Liam Payne, Lil Wayne, Lorde, Metro Boomin, NAV, Nicki Minaj, Of Monsters and Men, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and more.

Founded by brothers and chief executives Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings, Boominati Worldwide, Brushfire, Casablanca Records, Cash Money, Lava Records, Monkeywrench, XO, Young Money, among others. Republic also maintains long-standing strategic alliances with Universal Music Latin Entertainment (Karol G) and Hollywood Records (Zendaya). In addition, Republic has expanded to release
high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Fifty Shades of Grey), Sony Pictures (Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse), Lionsgate (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises. Extending further into the worlds of film, television, and content, Republic launched Federal Films during 2017 in order to produce movies and series powered by the label’s catalog and artists. Its first production is the Jonas Brothers documentary Chasing Happiness for Amazon Prime Video.

Prop Store- Live Auction

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RARE & ICONIC FILM & TV MEMORABILIA WORTH IN EXCESS OF $6 MILLION (£4.8 MILLION) TO BE AUCTIONED IN HOLLYWOOD NEXT MONTH

– TOM CRUISE’S “PETE ‘MAVERICK’ MITCHELL” FIGHTER PILOT HELMET FROM TOP GUN (1986) ESTIMATED: $50,000-70,000

– 1977/1978 DARTH VADER PROMOTIONAL COSTUME WITH POSTER-MATCHED HELMET FROM STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977) ESTIMATED: $150,000-250,000

– BRAD PITT’S “CLIFF BOOTH” BLUE KARMANN GHIA FROM ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) ESTIMATED: $20,000-30,000

– 11-FOOT NOSTROMO PRINCIPAL FILMING MODEL MINIATURE FROM ALIEN (1979) ESTIMATED: $300,000-500,000

– RAVEN BAR & WELL OF SOULS STAFF OF RA HEADPIECE FROM RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) ESTIMATED: $100,000-200,000

-LEONARDO DICAPRIO’S “RICK DALTON” YELLOW CADILLAC FROM ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) ESTIMATED: $45,000-55,000

– ROBIN WILLIAMS’ “PETER BANNING” SWORD FROM HOOK (1991) ESTIMATED: $12,000-16,000

EWAN MCGREGOR’S “OBI-WAN KENOBI” DUELING LIGHTSABER FROM STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) ESTIMATED: $25,000 – 35,000

6. Rick Dalton’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) Yellow Cadillac Coupe De Ville from ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) est: $45,000 – 55,000 (£36,000 – 44,100)

9.Cliff Booth’s (Brad Pitt) Blue Karmann Ghia from ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) est: $20,000 – 30,000

4.Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s (Tom Cruise) Fighter Pilot Helmet from TOP GUN (1986) est: $50,000 – 70,000

Film & TV memorabilia worth in excess of $6 million (£4.8 million) will be auctioned by Prop Store in a two-day auction on August 26th and 27th.

Bids can be placed online from anywhere in the world, by phone or in person. Last year’s auction in London saw a Radio-Controlled Hero Ghost Trap from GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) sell for an astonishing £186,900 ($230,000).

Last year’s auction in London saw a Radio-Controlled Hero Ghost Trap from GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) sell for an astonishing £186,900 ($230,000)

Prop Store – one of the world’s leading film and TV memorabilia companies has announced it is to hold one of the world’s largest live auction of film and TV memorabilia for the first time in Los Angeles this August, with the items on offer expected to fetch in excess of $6 million (£4.8 million).

Over 850 rare and iconic lots will be sold during Prop Store’s unique Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction over two days on Wednesday August 26th and Thursday August 27th 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

The auction will be live streamed online for fans to track the action and participate in bidding themselves. Auction lots can be viewed by appointment at Prop Store’s office facility in Valencia, California.

Email AuctionLA@PropStore.com to make a viewing appointment.

Prop Store will hold a virtual preview exhibition event in August via social media, with opportunities to see props from the auction up close and ask questions of the auction staff.

Top items to be sold at the Prop Store auction (with estimated sale prices) include:

11-Foot Nostromo Principal Filming Model Miniature from ALIEN (1979) est: $300,000 – 500,000 (£240,500 – 400,900)

1977/1978 Darth Vader Promotional Costume with Poster-Matched Helmet
from STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (1977) est: $150,000 – 250,000 (£120,200– 200,400)

Raven Bar & Well of Souls Staff of Ra Headpiece from RAIDERS OF THE
LOST ARK (1981) est: $100,000 – 200,000 (£80,100 – 159,200)

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s (Tom Cruise) Fighter Pilot Helmet from TOP GUN (1986) est: $50,000 – 70,000 (£40,000 – 56,000)

Josey Wales’ (Clint Eastwood) Screen-Matched Blank-Firing Hero Colt Walker-Style Revolver from THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976) est: $40,000 – 60,000 (£32,000 – 48,100)

Rick Dalton’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) Yellow Cadillac Coupe De Ville from ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) est: $45,000 – 55,000 (£36,000 – 44,100)

V’s Stunt Costume from V FOR VENDETTA (2005) est: $30,000 – 50,000 (£24,000 – 40,000)

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s (Ewan McGregor) Dueling Lightsaber Hilt from STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) est: $25,000 – 35,000 (£20,000 – 28,000)

Cliff Booth’s (Brad Pitt) Blue Karmann Ghia from ONCE UPON A TIME… IN
HOLLYWOOD (2019) est: $20,000 – 30,000 (£16,000 – 24,000)

Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) Tan Miami Suit Display from GODFATHER,
THE: PART II (1974) est: $15,000 – 20,000 (£12,000 – 16,000)

Peter Banning’s (Robin Williams) Prop Sword from HOOK (1991) est: $12,000 – 16,000 (£9,600 – 12,800)

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vista Vision Motion Picture Camera Serial No. MVV-6 from VERTIGO (1958) est: $50,000 – 70,000 (£40,000 – 56,000)

Louise’s (Susan Sarandon) Jacket from THELMA & LOUISE (1991) est: $2,000 – 3,000 (£1,600 – 2,400)

Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) Arena Costume from THE HUNGER GAMES (2012) est: $8,000 – 10,000 (£6,400 – 8,000)

Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) Boxing Gloves from ROCKY (1976) est: $12,000 – 16,000 (£9,600 – 12,800)

Neil Armstrong’s (Ryan Gosling) Screen-Matched Gemini Spacesuit from
FIRST MAN (2018) est: $20,000 – 30,000 (£16,000 – 24,000)

Elizabeth Swan’s (Keira Knightley) Dress from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003) est: $4,000- 6,000 (£3,200 – 4,800)

Barf’s (John Candy) Costume from SPACEBALLS (1987) est: $5,000 – 7,000 (£4,000 – 5,600)

Ron Burgundy’s (Will Ferrell) Blue Suit from ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY (2004) est: $3,000 – 5,000 (£2,400 – 4,000)

Egon Spengler’s (Harold Ramis) Ghostbusters Uniform Patch from GHOSTBUSTERS II (1989) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,200 – 2,000)

Prop Store’s auction is suitable for fans with a variety of budgets. Some of the least expensive lots in the auction include a One-Sheet Poster Signed by Harrison Ford from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) estimated at $1,000, a Rehydrate Dehydrated Pizza Hut Wrapper from BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989) estimated at $400, and a Mark I Iron Man Armor Piece fromIRON MAN (2008) estimated to sell for $400.

Registration is now open HERE.

Online proxy bids can be submitted from Monday July 27th 2020.

Brandon Alinger, Prop Store COO commented on the upcoming auction: “After years of success with our live auctions in London, Prop Store is thrilled to bring our renowned Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction into Los Angeles. With more than 850 lots from all the classic fan favorite titles, this two-day auction will be an unforgettable experience.

We’re excited for our global audience to join us for our virtual auction preview and participate in the auction itself by phone or online. With star pieces like Tom Cruise’s TOP GUN (1986) helmet and the primary Nostromo filming model from the seminal sci-fi classic ALIEN (1979), this year’s auction collection is one of the most exciting we’ve ever brought under the gavel.”

The live auction will be broadcast live over two days on Wednesday August 26th and Thursday August 27th 2020 from 10:00 am PDT.

About Prop Store:

Prop Store sells original movie props and costumes and related memorabilia, regularly hosting live and online prop and costume auctions. Operating since 1998, Prop Store founder Stephen Lane’s love for movies led him to begin hunting for the same props and costumes that were used to create his favourite films. He found that he could not only provide collectors with access to their most coveted pieces, but also establish archival standards for a new, pop-culture hybrid of fine art and memorabilia collecting – prop art. Prop Store handles prop disposal, sale, archive and auction services to production companies and distributors as well as fixed price item sale on its website HERE.

Klaus Jakelski on Doctors and the Unimaginable

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By Klaus Jakelski

Frank Lambert’s soul had hemorrhaged dry long before he volunteered for his present deployment. He just didn’t know it yet.

The battle-hardened surgeon had seen action in Rwanda, Burundi and Chechnya. Some of the bad memories he had suppressed. Others came to him only in nightmares, which he could never quite remember. His service had been one known for faultless, hard work in the operating room and afterwards, hard drinking to keep the demons out. Most recently he had substantially turned himself around — made himself better — at least that’s what he thought.

But life in the civilized world of Boston operating rooms had not been enough for him. He soon needed to feel the rush of adrenalin which propped up his self-identity.

Volunteering with an NGO that operated a forward relief station under NATO protection, he found himself in the middle of the Yugoslavian Civil war of the 90’s. He thought it was a simple mis-understood conflict in Europe — the civilized world after all — what could be horrible about that?

But as the conflict raged around Sarajevo, Frank and his nurse ally, Gwen Pakin, felt isolated from the main conflict. Until the inevitable arrived. The girls and young women who had been raped. Naturally, the two elected to do the procedures to free the girls from the captivity of unwanted pregnancy.

With each of his five daily cases, Frank became mesmerized by the splashing of the red evacuation bottle. Torn between gladness for the life he had restored and sadness for the life he had taken. Each one eating away at another part of his soul.

A cousin of mine, a battlefield trained ex US Navy anesthetist, recently volunteered to work in the ICU at Columbia Presbyterian hospital in Queens NY. Nothing in her training had prepared her for the month she spent there, looking after COVID-19 patients. Loosing an average of six patients per day is not a normal experience in anybody’s books. She told me she managed to suppress the bad parts of her experience.

Which is exactly what Frank had done all his working life. Especially in combat areas where each reparation of a torn human body whether it was by suturing, exploring a bodily cavity, amputation or some other surgical alchemy, was exactly the sort of thing that would result in a non-surgeon being recommended for a long stay in a psychiatric prison. But Frank, entrusted by regulatory authorities and accustomed to the controlled carnage of surgery as he was, had learned how to cope. At first suppressing the memories in a dark corner of his soul. And when the burden became too great, unlike my cousin, he began to self-medicate. At first with a little, but as the painful psychological provocation became too great, with more and more alcohol.

Such is the plight of many first responders, whether civilian, or in the military. If not alcohol, then another substance.

Even though nurse Pakin recognized that Frank was better than on his last deployment, she quickly saw through him, because she had issues herself. A life rocked by personal loss and service in conflict zones, no matter how altruistic, had left her with emotional scars too.

So Frank wasn’t quite able to compartmentalize his new reality. He wasn’t able to separate the liberation of a woman from her rape, from taking the life of her unborn. He knew just as well that the simple procedure would never return the woman’s soul to its rightful place after the tortuous transgression.

Frank found his trigger in the swirling red evacuation bottle on the wall of his makeshift operating room. The bottle that drew him in at the end of every case, one at a time, and separated him one more degree from his freedom, as he developed a new found affinity for a different bottle of liquor.

This type of scenario plays itself out repeatedly in our every day society. There’s no need to go to a war-torn area to meet an antagonist like the dark genocidal Kamenko Hradich, who has all the surface veneers of a gentle family man, until he reaches his breaking point. We know this all too well.

The people who deal with this type of suffering are right here. These first responders are all around us. Many of them as yet unaware of their trouble. We only need to recognize them.

As for the issue of war rape – It is so easy for us to sit in our comfortable space when bad things happen elsewhere.

Two hundred or so girls are kidnapped in Africa to the service of some African war lord. We see it on the evening news. We turn it off and say to each other, well I’m glad that is over there, as we roll over onto our pillows and go to sleep.

And still we don’t make the connection. The one that #Me Too is making. The one that is circulating in the most genteel corridors of our society, as well as our schools. The notion that a certain treatment of women is alright, as long as it never gets called out.

Really?

The systematic rape of thousands of women occurred in a civilized area of Europe, alongside the most monstrous genocide since the holocaust. What does it take for that sort of thing to boil over in another advanced society?

My guess is, as Frank followed his adrenalin rush from case to case, he didn’t have a chance.

Natural Lithuania Attractions

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Historically a forest country, Lithuania has much to offer travellers looking for sustainable outdoor adventure. Under-the-radar wonders of nature draw into new experiences perfect for adventure-seekers looking for ways to safely travel.

“We are a forest country,” explained Indrė Trakimaitė-Šeškuvienė, Head of Marketing at Lithuania Travel. “Forest is an important symbol of Lithuanian history and culture. Despite industrial development of the 19-20th centuries, we have preserved large spaces of natural forest. With the rise of eco-tourism these locations are turning into sites of meditation, natural health practice and other ways to achieve the deeper sense of unity with nature.”

Eco-tourism is on the rise and people who decide to travel in post-quarantine world are looking for nature experiences rather than big cities. Here are seven amazing outdoor attractions in the lush forests of Lithuania, according to Lithuania Travel.

Herb picking: In North-Eastern Lithuania, in the forest-surrounded town of Anykščiai, professional herbalist Ramūnas Daugelavičius combines traditional Lithuanian experience with knowledge of other cultures and scientific methods to provide unique experience of herbs. From herb picking for spices to special tea ceremonies, fire rituals and seed root coffee, travelers can follow the Lithuanian tradition.
Butterfly and dragonfly watching: Lithuania is the only place in the world where dragonflies are professionally monitored and marked.At Ventė ornithology station, the secrets of dragonfly migration are only now being uncovered. Not far from the station, in the Western part of Lithuania, ecotourism enthusiast Daiva Stanislovaitienė offers butterfly, dragonfly and bird watching trips combined with cozy stay in a comfortable villa.
Forest bathing: The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku or forest bathing is a way to heal and restore the human spirit, which tires of work and rush of the technology-dominated world. For example, a certified guide of shinrin-yoku Mila Monk gives both private and group tours in different Lithuanian forests which visitors can join in on.
The largest dreamcatcher in the world: Those with serious nightmares should visit the pine forest in Asveja regional park in Eastern Lithuania. The dreamcatcher is located in the territory of the eco-resort Golden Forest. The resort also houses a forest labyrinth of four elements which can be passed only using the intuition, and holds the annual Masters of Calm festival for active and conscious community.
The forest gramophone: The forest sound catcher may be found in the Curonian Spit – the natural seaside reservation in the Western Lithuania. Here, a 3 meters high gramophone-like construction enhances the natural sounds of forest which visitors can spend about half an hour inside.
The forest dunes: Sand dunes are the usual sight of the Baltic seaside, but, some of them are located far from the sea and deep in the forests. In the pine forests of South-Eastern Lithuania, the dunes totally transform the landscape and provide unique experience of the raw nature.
Meteorite crater: 165 million years ago a huge meteorite landed near Vepriai in Central Lithuania. Now, visitors can explore the site by biking along one of the many routes across the crater.

The deep, green and magic Lithuanian forest is the place to enjoy peace and solitude traveling on foot, by bike or by camper. Now, with the necessary cautions for traveling during the coronavirus pandemic, a forest-filled oasis like Lithuania is a perfect spot for globetrotters.

Lupe Fiasco × Kaelin Ellis

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Lupe Fiasco and Kaelin Ellis announce collaborative EP HOUSE

Today, GRAMMY-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco and Orlando producer Kaelin Ellis announced their collaborative EP HOUSE, out July 24th. The announcement comes with the first single from the EP “SHOES” ft. Virgil Abloh.

The HOUSE EP came together by chance on May 5th when Lupe was tagged on Twitter in the replies of a tweet from Kaelin Ellis, a young producer. Reading “Get this to @LupeFiasco somehow,” Lupe listened, liked the beat, screen recorded Kaelin’s video, dropped it in GarageBand, freestyled over the beat, exported it in Quicktime, then tweeted the song just a few hours after he first saw the mention.

The two then began interacting over Twitter; Kaelin sent beats to Lupe, who rapped over the tracks he liked. A few weeks later they had a 5 song EP titled HOUSE, referencing that the two had created the collaborative EP locked down in their respective houses.

For the incredible album art, Lupe and Kaelin were inspired by iconic Columbia Records jazz album covers like Dave Brubeck’s Time Out and Charles Mingus’ Mingus Ah Um. The art on HOUSE features a painting of “The Glass House” painted by Peter Gellatly. Peter recently died of COVID-19 and in the album’s liner notes, his son Sky Gellatly eulogizes his father.

For the EP’s first track “HOMME MADE,” Lupe had his friend Virgil Abloh speak about the concept of a house. Abloh is also featured on the song “SHOES,” where he describes hypothetically designing the shoes that Ahmaud Arbery was wearing when he was murdered. The song “DINOSAURS” is about how we could be on the brink of another mass extinction, and “SLEDOM” is a critique of the modeling industry. The final song “LF95” is the original track Lupe recorded that set this project into motion.

This exciting EP stems from a virtual introduction that shows fans that creativity continues to blossom in quarantine.

Follow Kaelin Ellis: Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | Spotify

Follow Lupe Fiasco: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

flor – reimagined pt 2

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Los Angeles, CA alt-pop band flor has returned with reimagined pt 2, a collection of stripped-back recordings of ley lines opener “white noise” and come out. you’re hiding track “unsaid.” reimagined pt 2 is available to stream and download starting today here via Fueled By Ramen.

flor has also shared an accompanying visual for the songs, featuring footage captured by the band and fans on their headline tour earlier this year. Watch it here.

“I started playing ‘white noise’ every time we bumped into a piano on tour earlier this year. I wanted to dive even deeper into the vulnerability and emotion in this song, and the piano was the perfect instrument to convey those feelings,” shared flor’s Zach Grace. “When we dove into ‘unsaid’, I wanted to be transported back to high school when we were just cluelessly writing songs in McKinley’s garage. We limited ourselves to just the instruments we had on hand to capture the joy and excitement of new found creativity and exploration.”

reimagined pt 2 follows flor’s reimagined EP, which was released in February and features stripped-back recordings tracks “warm blood” and “slow motion”, and a cover of Coldplay’s “yellow” featuring labelmates Misterwives.

FOLLOW FLOR: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Peter Manos – Do You Turn Red?

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Peter Manos’ debut EP – Do You Turn Red? – was released today by Capitol Records. Manos will perform the EP’s songs live tomorrow, July 16, on Instagram. Do You Turn Red? contains six tracks recorded in his L.A. home studio – including his new single, “Tennessee,” which has already amassed over one million streams plus Manos’ 2017 debut single, “In My Head.”

View the trailer for Do You Turn Red? here and download / stream the EP here. Do You Turn Red? is also available for pre-order in cassette and opaque blue vinyl editions. For further details, visit Manos’ website at petermanos.com.

“Peter Manos is your new favorite indie R&B singer,” said Flaunt in this feature. “His lyrics encapsulate everything from loss and loneliness to hope and happiness, recalling beautiful memories and meaningful conversations.”

Manos made “In My Head” in his dorm room at Nashville’s Belmont University. A buddy who helped him record warned him, “Remember, people’s first songs don’t usually do anything,” yet “In My Head” found its way onto numerous playlists, from Spotify’s Pop Rising all the way to Today’s Top Hits. Combined global streams of the track now top 300 million.

Do You Turn Red? is both a guidepost pointing toward what may come and a snapshot of this moment. Here is Manos at the front of his career, full of ideas, and all of them tangibly intimate. He has a knack for carving out his own space within something familiar, as these songs make clear. His taste dovetails perfectly with his skills as a one-stop shop singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and producer. There’s the slyly sexy groove topped by his delicate falsetto on “You Don’t Know Me.” There’s the hypnotic cascade of guitar and odd samples that underpin “Zach’s Ballad.” And the way that “At Night” starts as a solitary psych-soul excursion but ends in a hail of live drums and ghostly oohs. “Do You Turn Red?” arrives after five songs of blue mood like a sudden rush of blood. It plays like a confession and feels as raw. Taken with his lyrics – equal parts diaristic share and poetic scrawl – it all feels deeply personal.

FOLLOW PETER MANOS: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Schools Debate Fall Opening

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By Eamonn Burke

As the Coronavirus spreads at its fastest pace yet in the United States, schools and colleges are facing the tough question of how to face the fall semester. Education facilities from kindergarten to graduate school have to rethink how classes will be run in person, and if they will be run in person at all.

According to the Federal Government, opening all schools in person is the imperative course of action. President Trump and his Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are practically demanding schools to re-open, as Trump even threatened to cut funding to education if they do not. “We’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools—get them open.” Trump said at an event last week. Secretary DeVos backed him, asserting that re-opening schools “should absolutely be the goal.”

However, for public school districts and colleges, the situation is not so clear-cut. California, one of the COVID-19 hotspots in the world, the two largest districts of San Diego and Los Angeles have announced that they will not reopen for in-person instruction. Many districts, such as New York City, are pursuing a more hybrid plan, which involves partial in-person learning in three different models propped by Mayor DeBlasio. The state of New York as a whole is allowing districts to open based on certain criteria. In some cases, such as Nashville, districts have actually had to backpedal and turn over plans to re-open in light of the recent spike in coronavirus cases across the nation.

Colleges, both public and private, face the same dilemma. While some have announced full closure in the fall, such as the State universities in California, others such as Harvard, Princeton, and Georgetown will bring students to campus in a limited manner. Harvard and Princeton will have roughly half of the students on campus for each semester, split by grade, although all classes will remain online. Harvard will not discount their tuition, while Princeton will offer 10% off. Other universities such as Carnegie Mellon are offering more flexibility, allowing students to choose which semester to come back and offering some classes with both a remote and in-person option.

Another complicating factor in decisions for colleges are the new restrictions on international students put in place by ICE under Trumps administration. These rules, stating that international students who have only online classes must go back to their country, have caused more than 200 universities to sue the Trump administration, following in suit of Harvard and MIT. These rules were dropped quickly after facing the wide opposition.

Grand Touring LE

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The all-new, custom-inspired Slingshot Grand Touring LE takes your driving adventure to a whole new level and turns heads like no other — allowing anyone to get in and turn the ordinary into extraordinary.

The newest model is part of the 2020 lineup and delivers luxurious comfort, style and design. Along with a host of amenities, the Grand Touring LE is highlighted by Slingshot’s new 2020 AutoDrive transmission, an automatic-like driving experience without the need for clutching or shifting.

The 2020 Grand Touring LE stands out from the crowd by featuring an exclusive Fairway Green paint with bronze accents and special-edition bronze wheels. See below.

Additional Features:

Slingshot’s Quilted Comfort Seats provide all-day comfort for drivers and passengers, while a tall Ripper Series Wind Deflector adds protection from the elements.
Slingshot’s seven-inch Ride Command infotainment system with built-in GPS navigation and turn-by-turn directions is perfect for any adventure.
Finishing off the limited-edition, custom-inspired design is a color-matched Slingshade top, color-matched Rear Fender and interior accent lighting.
Drivers can also personalize their Grand Touring LE with the new Heated and Cooled Seats and Stage 1 Tune upgrade to deliver up to 203 horsepower.

With less than 300 being made, The Grand Touring LE is shipping to dealers now starting at an MSRP of $33,999.

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Shaq’s Custom Jeans Available for All

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Red Cotton Denim founder Camillo Love is looking to disrupt the fashion industry that has created a standard sizing system. Instead of mass producing, Red Cotton Denim is introducing jean customization technology that creates a personalized fit.

His path has taken him from serving in the US Navy to couch-surfing while working in the LA Fashion Districts to making custom jeans for Shaquille O’Neal and now a jean factory in El Paso, TX.

With Shaq being a perfect example, no two bodies are the same and neither are their jeans. Every detail is carefully designed to fit each individual. The age of Artisan Denim has arrived, Red Cotton Denim is reimagining century old tailoring to modernize how jeans are designed. They’re building a technology that creates customized jeans for online shoppers.

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