Peter Bart: “Social Distancing” Will Also Expand Our Digital Dependency

LCD Soundsystem‘s James Murphy along with Jonathan Galkin and Tim Goldsworthy, and they’ve since released records by the likes of LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture and Hot Chip.Next month marks the 20th anniversary of DFA’s first releases – The Rapture’s ‘House of Jealous Lovers’ and The Juan MacLean’s ‘By The Time I Get To Venus’ – and the label is set to celebrate the milestone with a special event at the Knockdown Center in New York City on March 26.“Anniversaries, schmaniversaries, but given everything we’ve all collectively been through, this feels like a plausible excuse to throw a party. So that’s what we’re doing,” DFA said in a statement.It’s crazy, really.

Biffy Clyro have announced details of a new documentary called Cultural Sons Of Scotland, premiering on Amazon Prime Video next week (February 25).The new film is described as an “intimate documentary film showing the back-to-basics recording process they adopted to create their ninth studio album, ‘The Myth of the Happily Ever After’.“With unprecedented access to the band, the new feature length film takes viewers on the journey with Simon, Ben and James as they return to their home in Ayrshire to create their latest, critically acclaimed album in the most unusual of studio environments.”The synopsis adds: “The film explores how the experience of recording an album in Scotland for the first time prompted the band to reflect on the importance of where they’re from, how this has influenced their career to date and reinforced their lifelong bond as friends and bandmates.”Watch the first trailer for Biffy Clyro: Cultural Sons Of Scotland below.Speaking of the new film, which also traces Biffy Clyro’s 20-year history and sees them return to Glasgow for a massive 2021 show at Glasgow Green, frontman Simon Neil said: “In the same part of the world as I wrote my very first song is where we’re making this record, and there’s something really pure about that.”Drummer Ben Johnston added: “We don’t need all the bells and whistles for us to be fulfilled and happy, we just need the three of us to be making music together and have that vibe in a room – and that’s what keeps our hearts beating.”“Everyone should join a band…” bassist James Johnston said.

Futurama star John DiMaggio has said that he will only return for the show’s revival if the whole cast receives a pay rise.The voice actor, who plays chain-smoking robot Bender in the series, took to social media to explain his conditions to reprise his role.“I’ve been thinking about everything that’s been going on these past months and just to be clear, I don’t think that only I deserve to be paid more. I think the entire cast does,” DiMaggio wrote on Twitter yesterday (February 15).“Negotiations are a natural part of working in show business.

Madonna has revealed that the audition process is underway for her forthcoming film biopic.The singer and actor confirmed back in 2020 that she is co-directing and co-writing the forthcoming film, and later described the project as a “visual autobiography”.After announcing back in October that the script for the untitled biopic was “almost finished”, Madonna has now confirmed that auditions for the film are underway.Posting on Instagram overnight, the singer shared a clip of herself dancing to her track ‘Burning Up’, which was released in 1983.A post shared by Madonna (@madonna)“Auditions for my film are a surreal experience,” she wrote in the caption for the clip.

Future Islands have returned today (February 16) with a brand new track – listen to the groove-led ‘King Of Sweden’ below.The new song follows the standalone track ‘Peach’, which the band released last summer and was their first original track since their sixth album, ‘As Long As You Are’, came out in 2020.It’s not clear yet whether ‘King Of Sweden’ and ‘Peach’ are tasters of the band’s seventh studio album, which they confirmed in 2021 they had already started work on.For now, listen to ‘King Of Sweden’ below.Next week (February 21), Future Islands are set to head out on an extensive UK and European headline tour, their first since 2018.See the full list of dates, which include a show at London’s Alexandra Palace, below.FEBRUARY 202221 – Helsinki, The House Of Culture23 – Stockholm, Annexet24 – Oslo, Sentrum Scene26 – Copenhagen, VegaMARCH 20221 – Berlin, Columbiahalle2 – Warsaw, Palladium Warszawa4 – Munich, TonHalle5 – Zagreb, Tvornica Kulture6 – Milan, Fabrique8 – Barcelona, Razzmatazz9 – Madrid, La Riviera10 – Lisbon, Camp Pequeno12 – Nimes, La Paloma13 – Paris, Olympia15 – Utrecht, Ronda17 – Frankfurt, Batschkapp19 – Lille, Aeronef20 – Antwerp, De Roma21 – Cologne, E-Werk23 – Manchester, Academy25 – London, Alexandra Palace27 – Belfast, Ulster Hall28 – Dublin, Vicar Street31 – Newcastle, Northumbria SU InstituteAPRIL 20221 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall2 – Glasgow, O2 Academy Reviewing Future Islands’ new album ‘As Long As You Are’, NME wrote: “‘As Long As You Are’ maybe an unexpected handbrake turn for Future Islands and it may not be as hit-laden as its predecessor, but it’s a refreshing record in its own right and one that throws up plenty of existential quandaries.”

Here’s another walking-and-talking film from festival favorite Hong Sang-soo, encapsulating a sliver of Korean life with his customary elusive delicacy. Shot largely in creamy black and white, Berlin competition entry The Novelist’s Film centers on the meeting between two artists who, for different reasons, have simply stopped working.

This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary were left in tears of laughter during the latest episode, as one guest shared his wild "spanking" story.The ITV show welcomed former rich kid tutor Matt Knott to the sofa to discuss his memoir A Class of Their Own: Adventures in Tutoring the Super-Rich.One part of the interview saw Matt recall his experience with a wealthy Russian family, which ended with him being spanked by a naked Russian oligarch in his own personal sauna.The funny anecdote left Alison and Dermot in floods of laughter as the lively pair giggled between themselves.Matt said of the oligarch: "He invited me to have a sauna, which being an oligarch, he had one in his basement and he walked in completely naked."He was showing me who's boss and it was surreal."As Alison and Dermot chuckled, he added: "Then, part of the traditional Russian [sauna] experience is that you get spanked."At this point, Alison doubled over in laughter and Dermot put a hand to his mouth. Matt concluded his funny tale with: "There's not a line in the tutoring handbook about what you do when a naked Russian oligarch offers to spank you.""The client is always right, so I let him spank me as much as I liked.

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeCould Walt Disney be next? Really?Let me explain: Most industry people I know were drawn to Hollywood by the prospect of creating things, not cancelling things. Now the dialogue has shifted, whether about airports (John Wayne), statues (Teddy Roosevelt) or movies (Gone With the Wind).Could logos be next? Walt Disney was a man who did great things but whose points of view were nonetheless tainted by some unacceptable ideas (“tainted,” by today’s standards).

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

By Peter Bart

Peter Bart Editor-At-LargeIt’s real but surreal: Hamilton, the hottest show of its generation, opens Friday as a streamer! There’s no giant launch party, no massive media campaign. This will not be My Fair Lady time revisited.But the “non-event” is an appropriate metaphor for the challenges facing Hollywood in launching “new” product to a comatose pop culture.