February 21, 2020 7:20AM PT Louisiana band the Revelries has signed a development deal with Edgeout, a label that will release music via Universal’s catalog division UMe. The band is managed by Red Light. “Edgeout Records is committed to discovering the next generation of rock artists,” said label chief Tony Guanci, who signed an exclusive
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Willie Nelson has back-to-back awards from the last two Grammys, and the always prolific artist will be going for a third with his 70th studio album, “First Rose of Spring,” just announced for an April 24 release. The album will come out just five days shy of Nelson’s 87th birthday, April 29. Nelson and his
In the nearly five years since Grimes last released an album, her news and social feeds have been so filled with drama, both artistic and real-life (feuding with her record label, her recent announcement that she’s pregnant, and that whole dating-Elon-Musk thing) that it’s threatened to overshadow her music. And although her recent videos and
February 20, 2020 5:00PM PT Director Ivo Van Hove dares to fiddle with perfection in this modernized but still respectful re-working of Jerome Robbins’ 1957 masterpiece. Whittled down to one hour and forty-five minutes, “West Side Story” – with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreography by Jerome
February 20, 2020 2:56PM PT The Recording Academy and its ousted president and CEO Deborah Dugan have officially entered mediation, just over a month after their dispute broke into the open, sources confirm to Variety. While a report in Billboard states that mediation began today, a source tells Variety that the two parties have been
At the end of a Universal Music Group Nashville showcase Thursday for attendees of Country Radio Seminar, a duet by Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood of their hit “The Fighter” appeared to be the climax. But UMG had a surprise in store: an announcement that country superstar Reba McEntire was re-joining her original label home,
Mandy Moore, of “This Is Us” fame, seemed to have said “that’s not me” when it came to making music anymore. But she was just biding her time, waiting for the right moment — and, she says, the right supportive relationship — to resume recording after dropping out in the late 2000s. The 35-year-old actress,
With his new album “After Hours” due next month, the Weeknd has revealed dates for a massive tour in support of the album, which kicks off in Vancouver in June and continues across North America until early September, then moves to Europe in the fall. The Weeknd will be supported by Sabrina Claudio, Don Toliver, and 88GLAM at
Lana Del Rey has cancelled her European and U.K. tour due to an unspecified illness that apparently has caused her to lose her voice. The singer, 34, said in a statement: “Sorry to let everyone down so last minute but this illness has taken me by surprise and have totally lost my singing voice. Dr has
En Vogue will be musical guests on the March 17 episode of “Empire,” which also happens to be star Taraji P. Henson’s directorial debut of the show. The group — Cindy Herron-Braggs, Terry Ellis and Rhona Bennett — will appear as themselves when Cookie (played by Henson) books them as a musical guest on her
When debates arise over the lack of airplay for women at country radio, the industry is often told that the answers lie in the generally unpublished research stations do to determine which songs their listeners like most. Now, proponents for the women of country are battling back with data of their own, looking to fight
Neil Young plans to keep on resistin’ in the free world. Just weeks after the Canadian rocker officially became a dual citizen of th eUnited States as well, he’s penned an excoriating letter to Donald Trump, calling him “a disgrace to my country” and endorsing Bernie Sanders for president. The sentiments themselves are not a
New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., the principal sponsor of the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing (BOSS Act) designed to reform the live-events ticket market, today rejected Pearl Jam’s call to reject the bill. Calling the bill “flawed,” the group said in a letter yesterday that it “blocks non-transferable ticketing”
Just hours after Soulection released a flyer and lineup for its upcoming Lovers and Friends Festival on Tuesday (Feb. 18), former Bad Boy artists Mase and Lil Kim publicly rescinded their commitment to perform. Lovers and Friends is scheduled for May 9 at the 27,000-capacity Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. but some acts
Jack London’s “The Call of the Wild” ranks as one of the most famous books about a canine ever written. So director Chris Sanders knew that the composer of his film adaptation simply had to be a dog lover. Luckily, Sanders’ “How to Train Your Dragon” composer, John Powell, has two standard poodles. And when
Los Angeles’ Banc of California Stadium + Exposition Park will host the inaugural Virgin Fest on June 6 and 7. Headliners for the festival include Lizzo, A$AP Rocky and Anderson.Paak and the Free Nationals along with Major Lazer, Ellie Goulding, Jorja Smith, Banks, Tank and the Bangas, Trixie Mattel, Lauren Jauregi, Tiffany Young and Barns
Norwegian synthpop trio A-ha’s “Take On Me” has joined YouTube’s billion-views club. The iconic video from A-ha, which combines live action with pencil-sketch animation, is only the second song from the 1980s to reach the elite YouTube milestone, after Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” crested the one-billion-views mark last fall (and currently has
After ceding to Lil Wayne last week, Roddy Ricch is back to dominating the Rolling Stone charts, although he’ll likely take a back seat next week to Justin Bieber, whose first album in nearly five years, “Changes,” dropped on Friday. Ricch and Drake and Future continued their reign over the Top 100 Songs chart this
Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke was fatally shot Wednesday morning at a home in the Hollywood Hills, law enforcement officials confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. He was 20. Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was at a residence in California around 4:30 a.m. when two masked men broke into his house, law enforcement sources told
February 19, 2020 7:20AM PT “It’s been a long time, a lot has happened,” Justin Bieber says at the beginning of his return to “Carpool Karaoke” on the James Corden-hosted “Late Late Show.” “I’m a married man, I’ve got a mustache.” The pair also have an infectious chemistry that carries through their banter — which
Americana favorite Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit and country star Maren Morris top a slate of performers just announced for the Railbird Festival, to be held on three stages over two days in August at the Grounds at Keeneland, a renowned race track in Kentucky. The August 22-23, 2020 fest features an unusually eclectic
Kobalt today announced a worldwide publishing deal with Emmy-nominated actor-producer-writer Issa Rae’s company, Raedio Publishing, LLC. The global partnership with Raedio includes creative and administration services, which includes providing guidance and funding on new Raedio signings, pitch Raedio’s writers, artists and library for synchronization opportunities and provide admin services, according to the announcement. Rae has
February 19, 2020 3:55AM PT The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in New York today announced five new members who have joined their Board of Directors: Michele Anthony (Executive Vice President Universal Music Group); Jody Gerson (Chairman & CEO Universal Music Publishing); Pam Kaufman (President ViacomCBS Consumer Products); Jon Platt (Chairman & CEO
Trafalgar Releasing has set a re-release for the concert documentary “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” for April 22 in 14 countries, Variety has learned exclusively. The event will mark the 50th anniversary of the film’s original release by MGM. Most of the remastered footage was shot at the International Hotel in Las Vegas with
February 18, 2020 10:27PM PT The Weeknd has revealed that his new album, “After Hours,” will be released on March 20. Leading up to the release, the artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, will perform on “Saturday Night Live” on March 7, his third appearance on the show. Hear the title track here. The
R&B singer Tyrese dedicated a Valentine’s Day performance to entertainers who are no longer with us, including late Lakers star Kobe Bryant, rapper Nipsey Hussle, director John Singleton and actor Paul Walker. Taking the stage at the Forum on Feb. 16, where he shared the bill with Avant, Dru Hill, Ginuwine and Joe, Tyrese, accompanied
More than four years after he first put the property up for sale, wildly successful Scottish DJ Calvin Harris has finally succeeded in unloading his sleek L.A. compound. Tucked into the lower Hollywood Hills just above the iconic Sunset Strip, the “zen-inspired” oasis features a 4,100 sq. ft. main house, a two-story detached guesthouse, and
Billie Eilish made her first live performance of the theme from the new James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” at the Brit Awards in London on Monday night. She was joined for the performance by her brother Finneas, as usual, along with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and superstar film composer Hans Zimmer, both
As if the name “CD Baby” weren’t already an anachronism, the independent distributor announced late last week that it is shutting down its retail store, although it will continue to distribute physical product through other channels. “CD Baby’s mission is to help artists monetize and promote their music in the best ways possible,” a message
The Foo Fighters are revisiting their past with a tour to commemorate their first-ever outing as a band in 1995. Dubbed “The Van Tour,” the spring trek will kick off in Phoenix on April 12 and wrap in Hamilton, Ontario on May 12. Each stop will feature a sneak peek at frontman Dave Grohl’s new