Jem Aswad-Senior: Last News

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJohn Lydon — a.k.a. Johnny Rotten, lead singer of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd. — has written a brief and to-the-point editorial for the U.K.’s Times that ranges from his thoughts on the royal family to his wife’s struggle with Alzheimers, from Danny Boyle’s new biopic “Pistol” (which he fought legally) and his early struggles with fame.While the London-born Lydon, who has lived in Los Angeles for decades, courted controversy in recent years with statements in support of former President Trump, the editorial finds him as direct and unsentimental as ever.Yet the most striking statements are him effectively contradicting the world-shattering statements he made in the Sex Pistols’ first two singles, which laid the template for much of punk rock’s ethos: In it, he says “anarchy is a terrible idea” (defying the group’s first single, “Anarchy in the U.K.”) and “God bless the Queen,” which reverts the withering sarcasm of the group’s second single, “God Save the Queen” (“and the fascist regime”) as Britain observes Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAngel Olsen’s new album, “Big Time,” is the kind of rare, generation-spanning album that you could give to your sister, your aunt or your grandparents. Its 10 soulful, country-inflected songs recall everything from Dusty Springfield’s 1969 masterpiece, “Dusty in Memphis,” to Shelby Lynne’s 2001 Grammy-winning “I am Shelby Lynne,” from Tammy Wynette to Lucinda Williams — and at the center of it all are Olsen’s soaring songs and crystalline, versatile voice.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorKendrick Lamar’s “We Cry Together,” a harrowing enactment of an ugly argument between lovers, is not a song most people will want to hear more than once. And even though it is expected to be the next video from Lamar’s brilliant and challenging new album “Mr.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorToro y Moi, a.k.a Chaz Bear, has officially released “Goes By So Fast: A Mahal Film,” a short film starring Eric André and Chaz that, according to the announcement, “brings the world of Toro y Moi’s seventh studio album, ‘Mahal,’ to life.” The film was in partnership with Dropbox and directed by long-time Toro y Moi collaborator Harry Israelson, written by Sidney Schleiff and Israelson and produced by Ways & Means.Watch the film below.Israelson says, “Having worked with Chaz for over a decade, there’s been this natural evolution of our storytelling; with ‘Mahal,’ from day one we discussed a companion film. To me, the idea was to create a world around the record, so listeners could stick their head inside the album cover itself and have a look around.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSome nine years after the release of their last album, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back with a killer new song, “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” and a new album, “Cool It Down,” due Sept. 30 on Secretly Canadian.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTo those who know, Patti Smith, pioneering punk poetess and rock star without peer or precedent, requires no introduction. But times change, generations succeed generations, and sometimes the world needs to be reminded of things like “Why Patti Smith Matters,” which is exactly the book that veteran music journalist Caryn Rose published yesterday via University of Texas Press. Rose, whose work has appeared in Pitchfork, Salon, the Village Voice, Vulture, Backstreets, the Guardian and Variety, explains, “I was eager to take on the formidable task of chronicling Patti Smith’s career because aside from Smith’s own work, the existing scholarship didn’t possess the kind of informed, careful perspective of her life and art that it deserves.” The book combines original research and primary sources — one of whom is Bruce Springsteen, who gave Rose an exclusive interview on the making of their 1978 hit song, “Because the Night.” A section of the book focusing on the song appears below.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMelissa Ormond has been appointed chief operating officer of Goldenvoice, the promoter and live-events company behind the Coachella festival and many other concerts in the U.S. and Europe, it was announced by parent company AEG Presents.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRay Parker Jr., the R&B star and singer-songwriter best known for the theme from “Ghostbusters,” gets the documentary treatment in “Who You Gonna Call?,” from Sony Pictures Entertainment, which premieres on June 7 — watch the trailer below.As the documentary shows, there’s much more to Parker’s career than that theme song: He had many R&B hits under his own name and as leader of the group Raydio, and in his mid-teens became an in-demand session guitarist, particularly with Motown acts, like Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, the Temptations and especially Stevie Wonder, even touring with his band when they were the opening act on the Rolling Stones’ legendary 1972 U.S. tour. He later worked with Herbie Hancock, Barry White, Boz Scaggs and many others.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorPeacock’s Emmy-nominated comedy “Girls5eva” will have an exhibition at the Grammy Museum at LA Live in Los Angeles titled “Famous 5eva, Because 4ever’s 2 Short: A Girls5eva Retrospective” in June. Tickets are available for purchase now via the Grammy Museum.The series, based on a fictional one-hit-wonder girl group from the ‘90s that was churned through the pop music machine and reunites to give their dreams one more shot, will be the subject of the retrospective exhibit from June 9-27, 2022.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFormer President Donald Trump has a long history of using music at his rallies against the wishes of the artists, and that continued with his speech at controversial National Rifle Association rally in Houston last weekend, which took place just three days and less than 300 miles from the site of the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, where 19 children and two adults were murdered, evoking yet more “thoughts and prayers” and nothing else from the Republican party.Trump capped his speech with Sam and Dave’s 1966 hit “Hold On, I’m Coming,” written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, which took on an even more tasteless meaning when one considers the phone calls from children in the school while police waited outside for more than half an hour before entering. A rep for Hayes’ estate said in a statement to Variety, “The estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve and would NEVER approve the use of “Hold on I’m coming’” by Sam and Dave by Donald Trump at this weekend’s National Rifle Association  convention.Our condolences go out to the victims and families of #Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere.”Porter tweeted, “Hell to the NO! I did not and would NOT approve” of Trump using the song “for any of his purposes! I also know Isaac’s estate wouldn’t approve as well!”Someone shared with me Donald Trump used the song “Hold On I’m Coming” for a speaking appearance of his.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Band’s Robbie Robertson has issued a statement honoring Ronnie “Hawk” Hawkins, who died Sunday at the age of 87. Robertson and future members of the Band backed Hawkins in their formative years during the 1960s, before they toured with Bob Dylan and went on to become one of the most influential groups in rock history. Robertson’s statement follows below in full.My heart sank when I heard “The Hawk” just flew into the sunset. The story of The Band began with Ronnie Hawkins.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAngel Olsen has released a gorgeous cover of Bob Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings” as part of the soundtrack for the Apple TV+ series “Shining Girls,” with all of Olsen’s proceeds from the streaming royalties of the song going to Everytown for Gun Safety, which is billed as the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control.The song is included on the album’s soundtrack but not on Olsen’s stellar forthcoming album, “Big Time,” which was produced by Jonathan Wilson (Lana Del Rey, Billy Strings, Father John Misty) and arrives next week.The “Shining Girls” score and Olsen’s Dylan cover were produced by Claudia Sarne; the series stars and was executive produced by Elisabeth Moss. According to the announcement, Olsen was handpicked by Elisabeth Moss to record the song, which is featured in the show’s finale episode set to air Friday, June 3.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFollowing Don McLean, Larry Gatlin and Larry Stewart, right-wing country singer Lee Greenwood announced that he is pulling out of the concert scheduled to take place at the NRA rally in Houston over Memorial Day weekend. His departure effectively leaves the concert without a headliner.In a statement, Greenwood said: “As a father, I join the rest of America in being absolutely heartbroken by the horrific event that transpired this week in Texas.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAlan White, longtime drummer of progressive-rock titans Yes who also played with John Lennon and George Harrison, has died after a short illness, the band reported on social media. No further details were immediately announced; he was 72.While best known for his decades-long stint with Yes, White began working with the former Beatles at an early age, appearing with Lennon at his famous “Live Peace in Toronto” concert in 1969 (in a backing band that also included Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman and Yoko Ono) as well as several of Lennon’s albums and singles at the time, most notably the 1970 song “Instant Karma!,” where his whipcrack drumming is front and center.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA day after Don McLean pulled out of the NRA’s Memorial Day concert in Houston scheduled for this weekend, Larry Gatlin and Larry Stewart of Restless Heart have pulled out as well.The concert is part of a larger rally organized by the National Rifle Association, featuring speeches from former President Donald Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Senator Ted Cruz; “over 14 acres of guns and gear and 800 exhibitors”; and with a concert featuring Lee Greenwood and others. The event is going forward even though it is taking place just three days after — and less than 300 miles from — Uvalde, Texas, where a school shooting Monday killed at least 19 children and two adults.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSinger-songwriter and rabble-rouser M.I.A has signed with Island Records and returns with a brand-new track titled ‘The One.’ Produced by Rex Kudo & T-Minus. The track comes with confirmation that a new album titled ‘MATA’ is on the way.Listen to ‘The One’ below.  Undoubtedly, one of the most important and potent multi-medium artists of this millennium, M.I.A’s career spans 5 studio albums, international performances, multiple sold-out world tours, GRAMMY® and Academy Award recognition, while continuously pushing the boundaries of digital and ideological possibilities. M.I.Ahas never lost touch with her indelible punk spirit that inspired her glitching directorial debut; Elastica’s Mad Dog music video, to her self-directed tour visuals, graphics and NFT’s that continue to bend minds to this day.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorPresident Joe Biden will welcome superstar South Korean group BTS to the White House on Tuesday to “discuss Asian inclusion and representation” and to “address anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination,” according to an announcement from the White House released Thursday.Biden and the group “will also discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world,” the statement continues.The visit by BTS will take place on May 31, the final day of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.As noted by Politico, the president has been active during the month. He issued a presidential proclamation on April 29 about AANHPI Heritage Month, and he and Vice President Kamala Harris — who is half Filipino — hosted a White House reception earlier in the month that included U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUniversal Music Enterprises (UMe), the catalog division of Universal Music Group, has promoted Sujata Murthy to executive vice president of media & artist relations, effective immediately.In her role, Ms. Murthy will continue to be responsible for the label’s media department and oversee press strategy and campaigns, as well as work closely with artists, managers and estates across UMG’s roster.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJustin Timberlake, one of the most successful pop singers of the past 20 years, has sold a song catalog to Hipgnosis Song Management, the company has announced.Hipgnosis has acquired 100% of all of Justin Timberlake’s copyright, ownership and financial interests of the writer and publisher’s share of public performance income, and the catalog of musical compositions written by Justin Timberlake, according to the announcement. Also included in the sale to Hipgnosis are the worldwide administration rights to the compositions, subject to the remaining term of Universal Music’s administration rights, which expire in 2025.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWith speeches from former President Donald Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Senator Ted Cruz; with “over 14 acres of guns and gear and 800 exhibitors”; and with a concert featuring Don McLean, Lee Greenwood, Larry Gatlin, and others, the National Rifle Association’s “Biggest show of the year” is taking place this Memorial Day weekend — three days after a school shooting in which at least 19 children and two adults were killed in Uvalde, Texas, less than 300 miles away.It was the deadliest and at least the tenth mass shooting and the 27th school shooting in the U.S. this year alone — including one in Houston just two weeks ago, in which two men were killed and three critically wounded.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFor everything that music and entertainment do to better people’s lives, it’s all put into a sobering context when you hear someone speak about their work at a cancer treatment center. And the music industry’s work with City of Hope cancer treatment and research center in Los Angeles is one of its greatest charitable efforts.