DC Comics characters are going to have a big presence at Comic-Con once again, with tons of exclusive items featuring the World’s Finest heroes (that’s Batman and Superman, by the way). Among the items is an exclusive “Fusion” Superman/Batman Funko Pop! vinyl, straight from the pages of World’s Finest, a vinyl soundtrack commemorating 35 years of Tim Burton’s Batman, and a pair of posters showcasing Bruce and Clark from superstar artist Jim Lee. There’s even a Batman Returns poster for those of you who still worship Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. You can check out images and details for each SDCC exclusive down below:

Funko Batman/Superman Fusion Pop! Vinyl Figure

The combined willpower of Batman and Superman has brought the ring of Green Lantern to them, which fused the two heroes into one: Pop! Batman/Superman Fusion! Complete your Batman/Superman: World’s Finest collection by welcoming this exclusive hero to your DC lineup. The vinyl figure is 4.55 inches tall. Customers may purchase up to one piece per household. This composite hero is $14.99.

Batman – Original Motion Picture Score LP + Graphic Novel Box Set – SDCC Exclusive Batstripe Vinyl

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Mondo’s Batman – Original Motion Picture Score returns as a collector’s box set, featuring new vinyl variants bundled with DC’s Batman ‘89 comic book, a brilliant continuation of the story by screenwriter Sam Hamm, Joe Quinones, and Leonardo Ito. The box set comes in a newly designed clamshell with artwork by series artist Quinones and Paolo Rivera.

Of course, the soundtrack boasts Danny Elfman’s iconic score conducted by Shirley Walker, liner notes by John Takis, and original art by Killian Eng. The colors on the vinyl give total Prince “Batdance” vibes. This exclusive vinyl soundtrack is limited to 1,000 copies, split between in-person (booth at SDCC) and online. There will be 600 in-person copies, and 400 online copies. You can snatch this one for $55.00.

Batman Returns Poster

Celebrate the ultimate power couple, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, in a poster honoring Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) also appear. This Booth exclusive features art of Batman (Michael Keaton) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) by Dan Hipp, measures 24″ x 18″, and is an edition of 215. MSRP is $60.00.

All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder #1 Poster

This poster features the cover art from 2005’s All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder by iconic artist Jim Lee. This series was a collaboration he did with The Dark Knight Returns‘ Frank Miller. The poster measures 24″ x 36″ and is printed on silver foil paper. It arrives in an edition of 265, and will set you back $80.00.

Superman #205 Poster

The Man of Steel never looked more ready to take on the bad guys than on the cover for Superman #205. This 24″ x 36″ poster features the art of DC publisher Jim Lee. It arrives printed on gold foil paper, in an Edition of 265. Like Lee’s All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder poster, this one is also $80.00.

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Fans of Anne Rice’s vampires are gleeful with anticipation with the official confirmation that Interview with the Vampire season three will showcase Lestat (Sam Reid) in full rock star mode. Since that confirmation, fans have wondered just what Lestat’s music will sound like in season three. Will it be 2000s-era Nu metal, like in the movie Queen of the Damned? Thankfully, that seems to not be the case. In a post-season two finale discussion with The Los Angeles Times, showrunner Rolin Jones dropped hints as to what musical stylings they are going for. And it’s a wee bit more glam. Here’s what he had to say:

Lestat becomes a rock star. Let’s start there. We’re going to do a lot with that and are excited about potentially working with Daniel Hart who’s done the music for the first two seasons. We’re going to try to beat Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Rocky Horror. We’re about to try to make a little pop masterpiece.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Rocky Horror are two musicals leaning heavily on glam rock, even though they came out decades apart. Yet both have a gender-bending quality, definitely rock, but leaning into humor and camp in their songs. That is perfect for Lestat, who is known as the “Brat Prince” by other vampires. The Nu metal sound of Jonathan Davis of Korn for Lestat’s band in 2002’s Queen of the Damned is very heavy and self-serious. Aggressive, but not seductive. Not how most readers imagined Lestat’s music would sound like in the books.

In Anne Rice’s second undead novel, 1985’s The Vampire Lestat, the titular vamp awakens from a decades-long slumber in New Orleans. Although many things awakened him, one final thing finally brought him out of the ground. This was the rock music of a local band who lived near the cemetery where he slept. This band, called Satan’s Night Out, enraptured Lestat. First, he revealed he was a vampire to these young mortals. Then, he agreed to fund their band with his considerable wealth, with himself as lead singer.

By forming a rock band, Lestat decided to outdo his fledgling vampire Louis’ revelations to the world about vampire existence in his confessions (now a mass market book called Interview with the Vampire) by one-upping his former paramour with his own revelations, via songs, music videos, and a nation-wide tour. This was in 1985, an era when someone could conceivably take over the world via MTV. His songs do more than enrage the vampire nation, they also awaken the very oldest vampires in existence. Hopefully, we’ll see all of that play out, glam rock style, in season three of Interview with the Vampire.

The post INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE Season 3 Will Give Us Glam Rock Lestat appeared first on Nerdist.

I did a cursory check and 100% of people stream music. It’s everyone, in the whole world. Remember when people used to buy music, as a society? Now rather than pay for albums, or even songs, they liked, most people use one of a small number of music streaming platforms for everything. But nothing’s for free, especially if you don’t want your listening interrupted by ads. Spotify, maybe the biggest of the bunch, announced on Monday that all of its premium subscriptions prices will go up.

In the article by The Hollywood Reporter, Spotify’s individual plan will go up $1 per month to $11.99, the duo plan rising by $2 per month to $16.99, the family plan rising by $3 per month to $19.99. The student plan, which is offered at a discount to verified students, remains at $5.99. All of this will go into effect immediately for new subscribers and on the next billing cycle for existing.

This is just the latest hike for a streaming service, all of which—video and audio alike—have been skyrocketing as streaming media becomes the norm. Still, Spotify has all the music, so, pros and cons, ya know?

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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It’s pretty accurate to say that most mega corporations are evil. But some of them are truly worse than others. Live Nation and Ticketmaster fall into that category with their horrible ticketing practices. Anyone who has gone to a concert in recent years has quickly noticed that an array of fees, often adding up to a ticket price or more, are tagged on to a purchase. And, they essentially have the monopoly on the event ticket business. It has gotten so bad that the United States Department of Justice has sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. (Thanks to Variety for bringing this to everyone’s attention!)

This act is a federal statute which “prohibits activities that restrict interstate commerce and competition in the marketplace.” If this suit is successful, it can change how Live Nation—which owns Ticketmaster—operates. Here’s an official statement from the attorney general: 

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators. The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services.”

Of course, Live Nation had a response to the suit: 

“The DOJ’s lawsuit won’t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows. Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin. Our growth comes from helping artists tour globally, creating lasting memories for millions of fans, and supporting local economies across the country by sustaining quality jobs. We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists.”

While I don’t see Department of Justice as a hero here, I absolutely hope that this leads to changes at Live Nation that make going to shows more fair and affordable for all.

The post The US Department of Justice Sues Live Nation and Ticketmaster Over Alleged ‘Monopoly’ appeared first on Nerdist.

Oh what a day, what a glorious day for a Nerdist exclusive. We have your first look at how Mutant will let you bring the soundtrack to George Miller’s epic new film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, home on vinyl. And we can also tell you viewers won’t have to wait long to get a copy. It is going on sale at the same time the film drives into theaters.

The highly-anticipated prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road is finally here. As is its soundtrack. Mutant and WaterTower Music have teamed up for the first physical media release of composer Tom Holkenborg’s incredible Furiosa score. (And as someone who has already seen the film, I can attest “incredible” is actually an understatement.)

Pressed on two separate 140 gram Mutant Webstore exclusive Color Vinyl (one green, another a golden brown), the album will come in a stunning tri-fold jacket. It will also feature exclusive liner notes by Holkenborg and a package designed by Mo Shafeek. The gorgeous artwork on the jacket—both inside and out—will make this a collector’s item even for fans who don’t have a record player.

In a statement, Holkenborg talked about going back to the Wasteland. “My collaboration with the incredible George Miller began over a decade ago with our work on Mad Max: Fury Road, a project that marked a pivotal moment in my career as a film composer,” he said. “Returning to this world to score the odyssey of Furiosa, an epic tale of survival, resilience and revenge has been just as eye-opening and gratifying. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a testament to the vision of a singular film maker, whose pursuit of excellence always inspires me to push my creative limits.”

The vinyl will ($45) will go on sale at Mutant on Friday, May 24 at 1pm ET. The soundtrack will also be available as a CD ($16). You can find the full tracklist for both below.

And you can find us listening to it on repeat. That’s why we’re especially excited it will be available on vinyl. It’ll force us to listen to it at home and not behind the wheel where we might forget we’re not actually Furiosa driving down the Fury Road.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Soundtrack

1. “The Pole of Inaccessibility”
2. “Dementus”
3. “The Promise”
4. “You Are Awaited”
5. “The Bear”
6. “You’re Scum”
7. “Wives’ Quarters”
8. “The Wig and The Seed”
9. “The Stowaway”
10. “Fata Morgana”
11. “Gastown”
12. “A Noble Cause”
13. “The Bullet Farm”
14. “Dementus Is Gaining”
15. “Dementus’ Diatribe”
16. “At the Dawn of War”
17. “The Darkest of Gods”
18. “Epilogue (from Furiosa)”

The post Drive Home FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA’s Soundtrack on Mutant Vinyl appeared first on Nerdist.

Oscar-winning actress and iconic singer Cher has us convinced she’s immortal. Although she just turned 78, you wouldn’t know it at first glance. Yet once upon a time, she very nearly played a famous immortal, when the part of Louis in Interview with the Vampire, was being written for her. When the role instead went to Brad Pitt for the 1994 film adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel, Cher wrote a song based on the story, but it also didn’t make it into the film. However, nearly two decades later, Cher released the song, “Lovers Forever,” on her 2013 album Closer to the Truth. So a vestige remains of her long-simmering interest in Rice’s supernatural world, even if she never got the chance to wear the fangs herself.

Cher Almost Played Louis in Interview with the Vampire

An adaptation of Anne Rice’s seminal novel about the undead was in development for the better part of two decades. For much of the 1980s, conservative Hollywood studios balked at the idea of a version of the book as written. Which is the story of two male vampires in a centuries-long relationship who raise a young vampire daughter together. As a way of getting around this roadblock, Rice devised a solution. She’d make the character of Louis, who was partially based on herself, into a woman disguised as a man. The intent was for Cher to play this version of Louis, who was still an 18th-century plantation owner. Here’s what Rice herself had to say on that script to Movieline back in 1994:

The whole idea was that Louis would be a transvestite woman. At that time in history, you could own your own plantation and run things if you were a man, but you couldn’t if you were a woman. It was the French law. So this was a woman who dressed like a man, and otherwise it was exactly the same as Interview With the Vampire.

It’s hard to imagine casting Cher in a movie makes it less gay. Yet things like that went over the heads of mainstream culture back then. Also, as a fan of the novel, Cher actually wanted to see it done correctly herself. Once producer David Geffen got a hold of the Interview with the Vampire property in the early ’90s, he committed to making a faithful version. As one of the few out gay men in a position of power at that time in Hollywood, he had the clout to make it as written.

“Lovers Forever” Was Cher’s Ode to Louis and Lestat

Eventually, Anne Rice wrote a new script. Louis was a man again and Cher was out. However, Cher was still a big fan of the book, and was close friends with David Geffen. So she wrote a song for the film (with musician Shirley Eikhard) called “Lovers Forever.” For unknown reasons, the studio went with a Guns n’ Roses cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” instead for the film. Although, we can guess that Cher’s use of the word “lovers” for the vampires made the studio uncomfortable at the time. Believe it or not, mainstream audiences at the time largely didn’t get that Lestat and Louis were more than just bloodsucking buddies.

Cher revived the song for her 25th album, giving it a modern dance update. It took decades, but “Lovers Forever” ended up crawling out of the grave. Fans of Cher have even uploaded videos for the song, which show Cher emerging out of a coffin, sporting fangs, and looking as glamourous as Lestat ever did. The images were from a video backdrop from her song “Dressed to Kill,” a song she performed on her 2013 tour of the same name.

With Interview with the Vampire now a hit TV series, maybe the song can finally make it into an official production. We certainly could see Sam Reid’s Lestat singing it in his rock star phase. Perhaps with Cher in the audience? Hopefully, we can manifest this into existence.

The post Cher Almost Starred in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and Wrote a Song About the Film appeared first on Nerdist.

On X-Men ’97 this season, Storm has been through it. She lost her powers, found out the cute new guy she’s been seeing actually caused that problem, and faced down a demon. It’s a lot. But after many trials and tribulations, in episode six of X-Men ’97, “Lifedeath Pt. II,” Ororo Munroe got her weather-controlling powers back. She not only got her powers again, but she’s now wearing her original costume. That costume is from 1975’s Giant Size X-Men #1. Now, a fan has mashed up Storm’s upgrade with Beyoncé’s song “Alien Superstar” from her album Renaissance. And yes, it fits perfectly. You can watch the video from Twitter user Steven T right here:

They describe this as a Storm’s magical girl transformation, and it really is just that. For those unfamiliar, the term usually applies to an anime trope, one where the heroine “utters a key phrase, accompanied by certain gestures and/or using some sort of magical device, and then hovers into the air over a magical background, then has her clothes disappear as her hero costume glows into existence over her.” Sailor Moon popularized this, but even that drew inspiration from She-Ra’s and Wonder Woman’s magical transformations on TV years before. Now, Storm follows in that same grand tradition.

Using Beyoncé’s hit song “Alien Superstar” is also fitting, because a few years back, the musical icon once wore an updated version of that Storm costume for Halloween, designed by Simone Bianchi. It’s a bit of a full-circle moment. Storm’s costume in the series is the first time in the X-Men: The Animated Series continuity she’s worn her original outfit. Designed by Dave Cockrum, this was Storm’s principal costume in the Uncanny X-Men comics for years. But aside from the failed pilot episode “Pryde of the X-Men” in 1989, Storm has never used it in animation. We can’t wait to see more of it in X-Men ’97.

The post Storm’s X-MEN ’97 Upgrade Gets an Infusion of Beyoncé Energy appeared first on Nerdist.

X-Men ’97 has been a sensation since premiering on Disney+ last month, transcending just a quick nostalgia fix and proving itself to be top-tier Marvel storytelling. The animation is great, the voice-acting is spot-on, and so is the show’s musical score. We don’t just mean the immaculately re-created classic theme song either. This is all thanks to composers the Newton Brothers, known for their music in projects like Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House. We chatted with the musical duo’s Taylor Newton Stewart (who despite his name, is not siblings with his creative partner John Andrew Grush) about working on X-Men ’97.

Nerdist: Your credits before coming on to this project don’t suggest scoring an animated Marvel show. How did X-Men ’97 come about for you and your The Newton Brothers musical collaborator, John Andrew Grush?

Taylor Newton Stewart: So we’re big, big fans of the original X-Men: The Animated Series, and we had heard that they were redoing it. We submitted a demo, and the showrunner at the time was a fan of ours from Doctor Sleep and other projects we’ve done. Even though the genre was very different, they gave us a chance to put together a demo, and that’s how we got it.

The original X-Men theme is one of the most iconic animated TV themes ever. You’ve largely kept it intact for the new show, but if you listen closely, you can hear little differences, like it has a more dramatic lead-up. Were you nervous about making even the slightest changes to such a well-known theme song?

Stewart: Of course, I mean as you just said, you know, we wanted to pay tribute to it. And when you get something wrong, the fans will let you know. So we really wanted to do right by that. Also, speaking with the creatives at Marvel and the team, there was a very sort of specific direction they wanted to go on that.

Is there a character in season one you particularly liked writing music for?

Stewart: You know, it’s an interesting thing. I think Andy and I would go back [and forth] on this because there would be characters we would want to write for, and then it would change based on the episode and what was happening. I think overall for me, Magneto was probably at the top. But it did fluctuate a lot with other characters too. Like even writing for Nightcrawler, that was so much fun. So I think it does shift and does change. But I’m a little biased towards Magneto.

Speaking of Magneto, I feel the most dramatic musical moment came when he had his big scene at the United Nations in episode two’s climax, lifting the tribunal into the sky. What was your inspiration when coming up with the score for this scene?

Stewart: What we do for a lot of our shows or movies is, we write a suite of themes, ideas, and concepts before we get a locked picture. Sometimes it’s off a script, sometimes it’s animatics. And then from that point, we go into our studio and come up with different sorts of themes and ideas for the characters. In the case of Magneto, we had sort of an “angry Magneto suite,” and then we had more of an emotional one. And that the sequence when we put it into the show just fit so perfectly that it required very little adjusting. It all just worked.

Is there anything from all your horror film scoring experiences you brought to something that will be watched by at least some kids who aren’t the horror demographic? Because the third episode has the Goblin Queen doing some pretty supernatural and horror-esque things in it.

Stewart: When we went out beginning early in our careers, we weren’t seeking out horror, it just kind of happened. Although we’re big fans of certain horror projects, we’re more just fans of cinema. But I think, over years of working on stuff, you acquire knowledge in certain areas. And of course that’s gonna spill out into a horror show, you’re gonna have that kind of come in. But we drew actually a lot from more ’80s horror for that particular episode—Hellraiser, The Thing, even like Michael Jackson’s Thriller. There are certain vibes and tonalities that you grew up with. When you become an adult, you can’t help but have it sort of spill in.

Like I said, your resume has a lot of horror on it, especially a lot of Mike Flanagan horror. But X-Men ’97 is your first step into the superhero genre. Are you fans of comic-related material overall, or was X-Men ’97 just a chance for you to stretch your wings?

We were, yeah. Andy actually got into the comics, which led him to the show. I actually was a fan of the show first, and then I got into comics when I was a kid or early teen.

My understanding is that season two of X-Men ’97 is mostly done from a production standpoint. Have you started scoring the second season?

Stewart: No, we haven’t started in the second season. We’ve just more had open conversations with general direction and stuff. But we’re still in the early days of season two.

Eventually, there’s going to be a live-action X-Men reboot in the MCU. Is this a challenge you would be willing to take should the opportunity come up?

Stewart: I mean, we would obviously love that opportunity. Whether it’s animation or films, we sort of approach it very much the same way. By sticking to themes and trying to lock down the characters. And I think just in general in that world, I don’t know if they’re wanting to connect themes or they’re gonna wanna start fresh, I don’t know, but obviously that would be very exciting to have that, especially if they’re taking tones and stuff from the animated series in terms of sticking to the comic books.

I think everyone at Marvel Studios, they’re all such fans. I’ll be on Zoom calls and I’ll see action figures [in the background] and they just love the properties, they love it. So I think when you have people who are doing the projects that are that fans, it’s always in good hands. And I think it’s when it’s not in those hands, that’s when you have trouble. Luckily we’ve been fortunate enough to work with people who really, really care about it.

X-Men ’97 drops new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

The post X-MEN ’97 Composer Taylor Newton Stewart of The Newton Brothers on Making Marvelous Mutant Music appeared first on Nerdist.

Music has always been a key facet of any The Lord of the Rings adaptation. The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy themes are some of the most beloved and iconic pieces of cinematic music ever. So, of course, when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power released, it had some big shoes to fill. Happily, the series more than rises to the challenge. The Rings of Power keeps the spirit of Middle-earth alive with a resonant and transportive soundtrack that brings fans right back into the epic world. Anchored in core character themes but with delightful evolutions, complications, and surprises throughout, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s music is well worth a listen.

But, of course, it wouldn’t do to listen to such epic stylings in any old way. No, this The Rings of Power soundtrack deserves something iconic. What it (and fans) deserves is this limited-edition 10-disc collector’s edition of the soundtrack from Mondo, Amazon Studios, and Sparks & Shadows, which comes complete with a deep dive into composer Bear McCreary’s mind.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Limited Edition Soundtrack Box Set From Mondo and Amazon

If there’s one thing both an elf and a dwarf could agree on, it’s that a little aesthetic brilliance goes a long way. This is why we’re so thrilled to share that Mondo, in partnership with Amazon Studios and Sparks and Shadows, is releasing a gorgeous limited-edition version of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s season one soundtrack. This 10 CD set is an expansion of Mondo’s previous two CD-version of the soundtrack. While the original soundtrack is also gorgeous, this new collector’s edition takes the epic sounds of The Rings of Power to a whole new level. (And also includes the two-disc original release.)

In addition to the original series soundtrack, The Lord of the Rings fans will now also be able to listen to eight discs of “the original orchestral recordings of each [The Rings of Power] episode.” These will undoubtedly prove profoundly beautiful. A release describes The Rings of Power‘s soundtrack as “original themes [woven together] into a sonic tapestry for a full symphonic orchestra, alongside vibrant folk instruments and choral singers.”

10 The Rings of Power Soundtrack Discs to Rule Them All

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Of course, in The Lord of the Rings, one ring was more than enough to rule them all. But when it comes to getting to enjoy the full The Rings of Power soundtrack, we say, the more the merrier. The 10 soundtrack discs will “come housed in a
gold-embossed, leatherette-bound slipcase.” All that is gold does not glitter, but in this case, this The Lord of the Rings soundtrack box set is absolutely sparkling.

Of note, this The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power expanded soundtrack set from Mondo is a limited edition offering; only 1,000 copies will be sold, and each will come numbered.

A Look Into the Mind of Composer Bear McCreary

This The Rings of Power soundtrack box set also comes with a 136-page booklet written by Emmy-winning composer Bear McCreary. Titled “A Composer’s Journey,” this booklet features an “episode-by-episode account and musings on the creative journey to bring the soul of Tolkien’s world to life.” McCreary shared some of his insights on his blog throughout the airing of The Rings of Power, but to see these evolved and set in print will be a treat.

Anyone unfamiliar with McCreary’s insights into The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s soundtrack will surely find his commentary a fascinating addition to the episodes themselves. We at Nerdist had the great pleasure of speaking with McCreary about his development of character themes and his vision for his epic theme, “Nolwa Mahtar,” among many other things.

Where Can You Buy The Rings of Power Limited-Edition Expanded Soundtrack Box Set?

To recap, this limited-edition The Rings of Power Mondo box set includes:


• 8 CDs of the original orchestral recordings of each episode (Episodes 1-8, 4 digipaks x 2 discs) from THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season One.
• The 2022 2-CD Mondo release of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season One: Amazon Original Series Soundtrack.
This also features “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Main Title,” composed by Academy Award-winner Howard Shore, as well as “Where The Shadows Lie” performed by Fiona Apple.
• For the first time in print! 136-page journal featuring Bear McCreary’s episode-by-episode account and musings on the creative journey to bring the soul of Tolkien’s world to life.

But where can you buy this 10 CD collector’s edition box set version of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s soundtrack? Well, the official release date for the collection is April 26, 2024. But the pre-order for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season One 10xCD Box Set is open now! This incredible new entry to your collection will cost $150. You can purchase the epic box set on Mondo’s website. This The Rings of Power soundtrack boxets is also now available via Amazon.

Additionally, those purchasing via Mondo’s shop could receive an even rarer version of the box set. Mondo reveals, “As a special thank you from Bear McCreary and his team, 200 copies from this numbered run are offered with an exclusive Bear McCreary autograph card inside… only at MondoShop.com.”

We know we can’t wait to go there and back again many times on this epic auditory adventure.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER Soundtrack Box Set Offers 10 CDs of Limited-Edition Orchestral Magic appeared first on Nerdist.

Forget a hard day’s night; Sam Mendes is about to embark on a hard years-long journey. The Oscar-winner will direct four biopics about the biggest band in music history, The Beatles. Mendes and his Neal Street Productions partner with Sony Entertainment Pictures on this highly ambitious joint venture. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison are all getting their own movies, each focusing on one member of The Beatles and their tale. The four-connected features will also mark the first time anyone has ever had the full scripted rights to each musician’s life story and music.

Neal Street Productions has announced (in news first shared by Deadline) that it’s launching a four-film Beatles biopic project. Apple Corps Ltd./The Beatles, along with surviving members McCartney and Starr and the families of both the late John Lennon and George Harrison—have granted “full life story and music rights” for the movies. Each of the connected films will follow the point-of-view of one of The Beatles’ iconic members. Deadline says the search for screenwriters for each movie has already begun, and the project hopes to find its scribes quickly.

The entire idea for the project came from Mendes himself. “I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies,” said the director in a statement.

Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, also shared just how big this project will be. He said, “Theatrical movie events today must be culturally seismic. Sam’s daring, large-scale idea is that and then some. Pairing his premiere filmmaking team, with the music and the stories of four young men who changed the world, will rock audiences all over the globe. We are deeply grateful to all parties and look forward ourselves to breaking some rules with Sam’s uniquely artistic vision.”

The release schedule for these The Beatles movies sounds just as ambitious. Sony Pictures Entertainment is financing the movies and will distribute them worldwide “with full theatrical windows” in 2027. That might be when we get all of them. Neal Street Productions said “the dating cadence” of the four releases “will be innovative and groundbreaking.”

What does that possibly mean? The specific details of when these The Beatles biopic movies will release “will be shared closer to release,” so until then, all we can do is speculate. Could we get four different Beatles movies in a single year? Summer? Month? Week? Or what about a single day? If that were to happen, it would be a hard day’s night watching all four, but we know Beatles fans would be up for it.

The post The Beatles Are Getting Four Connected Biopics, One for Each Band Member appeared first on Nerdist.

If, for the rest of your life, you could only ever play Zelda games on mute or listen to music from the franchise without ever playing again which would you choose? Brutal choice, we know. Sophie had it easy in comparison. Fortunately you don’t have to pick. We’re only thinking about that horrible hypothetical because Nintendo has reminded us just how much we love the Zelda score. The company posted a live performance by an orchestra featuring some of the very best songs from The Legend of Zelda franchise.

Nintendo of America uploaded a beautiful live performance that was pre-recorded in Tokyo, Japan. This medley concert was originally scheduled to be part of Nintendo Live 2024 TOKYO. It’s easy to see why. It features tracks from the entire history of the The Legend of Zelda series. That includes “adventurous arrangements from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and many more.”

Here’s the entire track list of the Legend of Zelda orchestra concert, which offers a wide array of music from across the long-running and beloved video game series:

• “Tears of the Kingdom: Main Theme (Reprise)”
• “The Ballad of the Goddess”
• “Zelda’s Lullaby”
• “Link’s Awakening Medley 2024”
• “Breath of the Wild: Main Theme”
• “Hyrule Castle”
• “Breath of the Wild: 2017 Nintendo Switch Presentation Trailer”
• “Ocarina of Time: Kakariko Village”
• “The Legend of Zelda Main Theme”

My favorite track from this performance? I’m old enough to have played the original Zelda when it came out. Nothing beats hearing the original theme song even after all these many years.

You can (and almost certainly will) put this video on in the background when you want to hear something beautiful. However, like The Legend of Zelda games themselves, this music is best enjoyed while looking at a screen. There’s something special about watching talented performers bring to life music that has accompanied generations of gamers as they worked their way through level after level, game after game. Why only choose to listen to these songs when that’s only half the experience?

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If you could travel back a long time ago to a galaxy far, far away, what would you change about the past? Would you make sure the Jedi freed Shmi Skywalker from slavery? Stop Palpatine before he ever gained power? Or maybe kill him before his apprentice could join him as Darth Vader? Those are all good answers about how to alter Star Wars history. But instead what if you did something you never would have thought of? What if you convinced Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu to start a rock & roll band? That’s what we might do after seeing this absurd blast from the past. Those Jedi are the stars of a 2004 animated music video for Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out.”

Video Mods has re-shared a two-decades-old video that originally appeared at Star Wars‘ official website 20 years ago. Rather than relying on what it called “problematic” mocap technology at the time, eight employees made it (along with three other videos) in just three weeks. They did that using assets from (as it was known then) LucasArts’ video game Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.

That’s why it features Anakin and his Master as they looked in the trilogy’s final film. Of course, we don’t remember Obi-Wan rocking out in that film while his Padawan sang lead, but we’ll rewatch it to double check. (We’re almost positive Mace Windu was in a band in Attack of the Clones, though.)

Video Mods says it animated this whole video “as a single performance with eight different cameras.” That allowed them to render everything “like a live action shoot,” which an editor then cut into the final product. To pull it all off, the company used Maya, Fusion, Lightwave, and Final Cut Pro software.

Plus we imagine they used the Force. How else could they get dancers to work with a guy who turned into Darth Vader while shooting?

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If you’re a nerd, you’ve almost certainly heard composer Bear McCreary’s work. His memorable scores are too numerous to list, but Battlestar Galactica, God of War, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and The Rings of Power are a solid sampling. Most recently McCreary worked with his team at Sparks & Shadows on the soundtrack for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The Disney+ series adapts Rick Riordan’s popular books with pitch-perfect casting, adventures, and music. To that end, Nerdist has the exclusive premiere for the latest installment of Hollywood Records’ The Big Score featuring McCreary discussing Percy Jackson.

In the video, McCreary touches on crafting the themes for each member of the main trio: Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. He says Grover’s theme is very playful with a quirky chord change. It’s almost always a solo flute, with a pan flute thrown in now and again—for obvious reasons. Annabeth’s theme for season one is more subtle. McCreary said she gets a few resonant moments of warmth and depth through English horn and bassoon.

McCreary explains they found Percy’s theme while working on a later episode. Specifically they hit upon it during the powerful moment when Poseidon claims Percy as his son. It was then they found the building music that represented Percy’s journey to becoming a hero. With that discovery, McCreary and his team went back to episode one and added in the scene at the museum. Then, they realized it was Percy’s theme.

As ever, McCreary’s music highlights the characters’ evolution and the locations they visit.

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians season one finale will air on January 30. You can listen to the soundtrack on Apple Music and Spotify.

The post Composer Bear McCreary on PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS’ Score and Character Themes appeared first on Nerdist.

What was the greatest decade in pop music? Well, we think that’s easily the ’60s. Motown, the Beatles, and psychedelic rock, are all game-changing moments in popular music. But the greatest single year in pop music history? We think that award goes to 1984. Forty years later, the music of that year, and the artists who created it, still resonate. George Orwell predicted 1984 would be a totalitarian dystopia, but he never predicted it would become a pop music paradise. Here’s why 1984 remains the GOAT of pop music years.

Pop Music Royalty Take Their Thrones

The ’80s musical ruling royals—the King of Pop, the Queen of Pop, and the Prince of Pop—defined the pop music of the decade. And yes, we’re referring to Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince. But their true reign began in 1984, although the warning shots were fired the previous year. In 1983, Jackson’s Thriller spawned 5 top ten hits, including two number-ones. It was well on its way to becoming the highest-selling album of all time. Madonna’s debut album debuted in the summer of ’83, but had little traction, until December of that year, with the release of her single, “Holiday.” Meanwhile, after years as a critical darling with little radio love, Prince broke through (thanks largely to MTV) with his album 1999. This album finished as the fifth highest-selling album of the year.

In December of ’83, Michael Jackson released the final video from Thriller, a horror/dance epic based on the title track. This video, according to many, remains the single greatest music video ever made to this day. But in 1984, this trio, all born in the Midwest in the summer of 1958, truly began their rule. In early ’84, “Thriller” played on a loop on MTV. Jackson won eight Grammy awards for Thriller, and made headlines for an accident suffered for filming a Pepsi commercial. “Thriller” became his last top 5 single from that album in 1984, and his Victory Tour with his brothers broke records. Even a song that only featured MJ in the chorus, Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” became a megahit based mainly on Jackson’s fleeting presence. And MJ merch, from dolls to stickers to t-shirts, was everywhere that year.

Meanwhile, Madonna began 1984 by declaring her intentions to “rule the world” on American Bandstand. She made good on that promise, as ’84 saw her score three top-ten hits, including “Like a Virgin” which spent 5 weeks at #1. Her controversial performance of the song on the first-ever VMAs solidified her as a pop icon. Prince followed up by dropping Purple Rain, both the album and movie, on an unsuspecting world. Both were massive, making him a megastar, earning him 4 top-ten hits. All three artists would spend the next decade producing one hit after another, rarely taking more than a year off from producing hit songs. They were beyond prolific. To this day, just about every musician tries to emulate one or all of their careers. But few have even come close to achieving their levels of influence, and 1984 was the year they claimed their respective thrones.

The Second British Invasion Hits Its Peak

In the early ‘80s, the “Disco Sucks!” backlash had all but erased the genre from the American airwaves. (More on that in a moment). As the decade began, most hits came from mainly white male rockers, or easy-listening tunes your mom and dad liked. Then, a little thing called MTV happened. And suddenly, the new channel needed music videos. Yet, most American artists didn’t have any yet. But U.K. artists did, and so a new British Invasion began. By 1983, David Bowie ruled mainstream radio more than ever, and New Wave acts like the Human League, New Order, and Adam Ant made a splash in America. And with their wild hair, makeup, and electronic beats, they changed pop music.

In ’84, the New Wave British musical acts infused the charts like never before. Culture Club, Duran Duran, the Eurythmics, Thompson Twins, and others all scored multiple hits that year on American radio. More alternative-style U.K. acts like Depeche Mode and the Smiths started gaining fans on college radio. And then, there was Wham. The duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were already huge in the UK., but with their second album Make It Big, they aimed to conquer America. And did they ever, as starting with “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” they tallied up four top 5 hits in ’84, including a song that we still hear every Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, the biggest U.K. artists came together as Band Aid, releasing a holiday-themed charity single, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” that we also still hear every year when December arrives. Whether we want to or not.

Tina Turner Stages the Ultimate Comeback

In the 1960s and ‘70s, Tina Turner was one half of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, belting out hits and performing sold-out shows across the nation. But after years of suffering physical abuse at the hands of her husband and musical partner, she split off from Ike. And it left her life and career in shambles. She was forced to perform on every cheesy variety hour on TV, and lounge acts in Las Vegas. All just to make ends meet. But in 1984, she teamed up with Australian producer Roger Davies. He convinced Tina that she could make a comeback in this new MTV era. She emerged as the Queen of Rock n’ Roll, despite the odds not being in her favor.

Could a 44-year-old woman who had not produced a hit in a decade score with the youth? Turns out that she could…and then some. Davies produced her album Private Dancer, which resulted in the hit title track and the massive “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” The latter spent three weeks at the top position on the Billboard Hot 100, finishing the year as the second biggest hit of 1984. It was only behind Prince’s “When Doves Cry.” Tina scored another hit from the album, “Better Be Good To Me.” All this cemented her status as a rock icon for not just the decade, but for all time. And this massive comeback was one of the defining musical moments of the year. And it showed every artist who had ever fallen out of the spotlight how it was done.

Hair Metal Goes Mainstream

Heavy Metal had already been a thing for years before 1984. But it was during that year that the particular brand of electric guitars mixed with machismo, makeup, and lots of hair products went fully mainstream. A genre we call Hair Metal today. Mötley Crüe scored three Billboard Hot 100 hits that year from their album Shout at the Devil, causing “Satanic Panic” prone parents to throw many of their kids’ albums away. The less-threatening Bon Jovi entered the picture in ’84, thanks to their song “Runaway.” It foreshadowed a very long run on the charts through the rest of the decade.

Meanwhile, Sunset Strip bands like W.A.S.P, Dokken, and others broke big. Twisted Sister had more makeup on than 50 drag queens, but their song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” became a rebellious teenage anthem. But it was veteran act Van Halen, whose album 1984 was, appropriately enough, the biggest rock album of 1984. Its lead single “Jump” was inescapable, and controversial, as the “meat and potatoes” rock band used synthesizers on the track, supposedly betraying their rock ethos. It didn’t matter to fans. The record sold like crazy. And other similar bands followed suit, embracing technology. Hair Metal dominated rock for the rest of the decade, until the Grunge sound of Seattle killed it in 1991. But its dominance in that decade really began in 1984.

America Gets Its Groove Back

In 1979, the disco genre died a spectacular death. Frankly, it was murdered that July in the infamous “Disco Demolition Night” in Chicago, where thousands of angry (mostly white and male) rock fans rioted and destroyed hundreds of disco albums at a baseball game. “Protesting” that a genre was dominating the charts that was mostly produced by women of color and popularized in gay clubs. Disco was pulled off stations across the country, and within months, the phrase “Dead as Disco” was born. It was so dead in fact, that when MTV debuted in 1981, it was exclusively white rockers, something David Bowie famously called them out on. Radio and MTV were terrified anything “too urban” would cause their audience to revolt again.

But disco didn’t really die. It just went back underground, slowly re-emerging as just “dance music.” Hits like Rick James’ “Super Freak” happened, and Kool and the Gang and Earth, Wind, and Fire just kept pumping out jams. In Europe, disco actually never died. All this came to a head in 1984, when dance classics like Shannon’s “Let the Music Play,” Chaka Khan’s cover of Prince’s “I Feel For You,” and Ollie and Jerry’s “There’s No Stoppin’ Us” ruled radio. The Pointer Sisters had a triple whammy with “Automatic,” “Jump (For My Love),” and “Neutron Dance.” And if you still want to get ‘em out on the dance floor at an event? Put on Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round.” Thanks to bangers like these and others, 1984 is the year America officially got its groove back, and got back on the dance floor.

Room for Everyone

Maybe the most pivotal thing about 1984 in popular music is that everyone was allowed on the playground. Radio and MTV playlists were populated by a huge variety of musical genres, instead of just dominated by one. There was “Dad Rock” like Billy Joel and Phil Collins on a loop, but also the previously mentioned dance hits and all that hair metal. One hit song might be really weird, like Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” another might be extremely normal (pick any Hall and Oates song). Unlike today, where it seems everything on the Top 100 sounds more or less the same. But starting in ’84, and for years after, variety was the word of the day.

No greater example of this “room for everyone” attitude in pop music in ’84 was two of its biggest stars—Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen. Cyndi Lauper’s album She’s So Unusual came out towards the latter half of the previous year. But in 1984, she scored 5 Top Ten hits with it, starting with “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” a song we still associate with the era. Her unique voice, outrageous hair, and wild style epitomized every fashion extreme of the era. Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. album broke records. His signature gravely vocals, and “fashion” of plain blue jeans and white t-shirts and “back to basics” rock were also wildly popular. In the end, the music of 1984 proved that pop music is best when it comes in many flavors.

All of these things made 1984 pivotal in popular music. And that’s without getting into the movie soundtrack hits (Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters,” or Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose.”) Or the iconic one-hit-wonders like Nena’s “99 Luftballons” or Scandal’s “The Warrior.” Four decades later, it seems unlikely we’ll get a musical year as important as this one ever again. But it makes us appreciate it all even more today.

The post Why 1984 Is Pop Music’s Greatest Year appeared first on Nerdist.

Who’s more “metal?” Halloween‘s Michael Myers or The Lord of the Rings’ Frodo Baggins? If you don’t give the Hobbit extra credit because of Led Zeppelin it’s not exactly an easy question. How can you determine the heavy metal-ness of an iconic slasher versus that of Middle-earth’s savior? Trick question. You don’t have to thanks to this artist’s incredible metal covers of iconic movie songs. These heavy metal tracks let film fans and fictional characters alike from all genres rock out with the best of them.

Get ready to head bang with some Ringwraith thanks to the metal musical stylings of musician Evan Wanous. The music producer has turned some famous movie scores into some heavy metal tracks. That includes multiple covers of songs from Middle-earth.

While we’re not sure Hobbits, humans, or elves at The Prancing Pony would dig these metal covers of The Lord of the Rings‘ greatest hits, we do think the citizens of Haddonfield would genuinely love his version of the legendary Halloween theme. Michael Myers himself might even stop for a moment to enjoy it if he heard this incredible track.

We’re not totally surprised a horror movie song would translate so well into a metal song. What we can’t believe is that music from Home Alone does, too.

It also turns out that converting an epic, sci-fi fantasy classic into heavy metal doesn’t mean you have to lose any of the movie score’s majesty. Wanous’ cover of John Williams’ beloved Jurassic Park theme proves that. It wouldn’t sound out of place when Dr. Grant sees a living dinosaur for the first time.

You can check out more of Wanous’ movie covers, along with more of his music, on Spotify, YouTube, and Instagram. Don’t expect to find a definitive answer to who is more “metal” when it comes to a famous serial killer or a famous Hobbit, though. With these songs, they both are.

The post Musician Turns Iconic Movie Music Into Rocking Metal Covers appeared first on Nerdist.

One of the most cherished, highly quotable comedies of the 21st century, Mark Waters and Tina Fey’s Mean Girls has stood the test of time as the teen comedy to end all teen comedies. Taking a page out of the recently released The Color Purple’s book, Mean Girls (2024) adapts the 2017 musical back into a film, once again bringing Cady, Regina, Karen, and the rest of North Shore High back to movie theatres. 

Despite the fact that Mean Girls adapts not one but two successful projects of the same name, this new reimagining of the movie-turned-musical is a haphazard dud, doing a disservice to the stage production’s musical numbers and lacking the outlandish ferocity of the original film’s humor. Though the mixed-bag of an ensemble cast (led by a fearsome Reneé Rapp) give their best, Mean Girls fails as both a musical and an homage to the original—soulless and utterly plastic. 

Mean Girls follows Cady Heron (Angourie Rice), a sheltered teenager whose life flips when her mother (Jenna Fischer) decides to uproot their family, moving from Kenya to Chicago. Clueless as to American teen culture and desperate to fit in, Cady initially bonds with misfits Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) but quickly enters the thrall of the plastics, a group of uber-popular mean girls led by the unflappable Regina George (Rapp). 

In terms of its script, Mean Girls is an interesting case. It’s an adaption of a musical adapted from a movie, adapted from a book—all of which (save the novel) from writer by Tina Fey, who also serves as a producer and reprises her role as Mrs. Norbury. Returning to write yet another reimaging of Mean Girls gives Fey the opportunity to punch-up jokes from the original, though the 2024 script remains clearly reverent of the 2004 original.

The 2024 script of Mean Girls still contains all the lines fans know and love (Glen Coco, “Fetch”, on Wednesdays we wear pink, etc) but makes a few changes to accommodate a more modern setting. Mostly this pertains to the lines from the original that haven’t aged particularly gracefully—cracks about “unfriendly Black hotties” and so-called “cool Asians.” Tossing around racial slurs are nowhere to be found.

Mean Girls’ most curious changes, though, come with regard to Janis’ backstory with Regina. In the original film, Regina casts her out by lying and telling everyone in school she’s a lesbian, while in the updated version, she outed Janis, who actually was a lesbian. It’s a strange, not particularly effective change that’s indicative of how Mean Girls treats the original like gospel, cashing in on as many recognizable moments as possible and not meaningfully engaging with the changes it dares to make. 

Speaking of changes, the 2024 Mean Girls has no such reverence regarding the songs written for the 2017 musical. While Fey’s book is gospel, the original Broadway arrangements (composed by Jeff Richmonds) meet decimation. Instead, we find monotonous synth-pop which transforms even the musical’s strongest numbers into forgettable sludge.

While Mean Girls on Broadway may not have boasted an original script or a cast with names like Amanda Seyfried, Lindsay Lohan, and Rachel McAdams, what it did have was a cheeky, self-aware sense of humor that embraced the ridiculous grandiosity of musical theatre. Numbers like “Where Do You Belong”, “Sexy”, and “Stop” aren’t lyrically dense, but feature stereotypically Broadway-esque choreography and have a charming, tongue-in-cheek vibe that made the musical breezy and entertaining, if not quite a sharp as the original.

In attempting to translate Richmond’s songs (with lyrics by Nell Benjamin), Mean Girls razes its songbook of any personality, humor, or referentiality. Certainly, it’s understandable why producers might opt to cut a tap number in a film full of TikTok references and Shein clothes, but even some of the musical’s tamer numbers like “Stupid With Love” are sanitized into near unrecognizability. 

Yes, the arrangements are somewhat salvageable when seasoned performers like Rapp, Cravalho, or Bebe Wood (Gretchen) lend their vocal prowess. Wood’s sweetly vulnerable “What’s Wrong With Me” is a breath of fresh air and a rare moment of genuine emotionality. In that same breath, though, poor arrangements become all the more noticeable whenever Angourie Rice’s Cady attempts to warble her way through one of them, which is a shame, because she’s the lead.

Rice is certainly a formidable actress and comedienne (she gives a particularly memorable turn opposite Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys) but her Cady is bone dry and utterly lacking in personality, not to mention vocal talent. Clearly, co-directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. recognize Rice’s voice isn’t of broadway caliber. Countless Cady songs go to other characters or cut entirely and the efforts they go to to keep Cady from singing makes one wonder why they didn’t simply cast an actress who could sing the part. 

As for the rest of the cast, it’s difficult to wholeheartedly identify any comedic standouts. Even the bits that do land are marginally unfunnier rehashes of jokes from 20 years ago. All the pieces are on the board, sure, but Mean Girls rests on its laurels, thinking that simply regurgitating all the right aesthetic trappings and quotable moments is enough to cobble together a cohesive reimagining of this iconic chick flick. 

Between the inconsistent vocals, bizarre musical arrangements, and misguided script updates, Mean Girls (2024) is a letdown, whether you’re a fan of the 2004 film or the 2017 musical. Though co-directors Jayne and Perez Jr make some interesting and ambitious choices with cinematography and staging, a few experimental stylistic flares and an admirable effort from Rapp aren’t enough to save this high school comedy from musical ruin. 

Mean Girls (2024) ⭐ (1.5 of 5)

The post The New MEAN GIRLS Musical Movie Can’t Make Fetch Happen appeared first on Nerdist.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for all types of theme songs. While sitcom themes are my faves (“Movin’ on Up” is a JAM), I also love a good tune to accompany fantasy and sci-fi adventures. Even those who aren’t familiar with Game of Thrones have probably heard its epic theme music before. The same can be said for Doctor Who’s strange yet delightful “dooo-wee-ooooh” tune and Good Omen’s ethereal waltz. Speaking of the latter, we stumbled across a version of it fans have to hear. During the 2023 BBC Proms event at Royal Albert Hall, the Huddersfield Choral Society and a lovely orchestra brought new life to the Good Omens theme song. And yes, it is ineffably great.

This song truly captures the essence of the adventures of Aziraphale and Crowley. The first two seasons of Good Omens have been quite the wild ride for fans. Hopefully, the show’s planned (but not yet confirmed) third season will move forward and bring this story of an angel and a demon who form an unlikely “friendship” (wink, wink) while thwarting an apocalypse to an end. I’d personally love to see these two dance to this version, although the original is forever a banger.

We hate to see a good thing come to an end. But it is better to 1) get an actual ending and 2) get an ending before said good thing goes off the rails. It is, after all, Neil Gaiman’s ineffable plan to end the story with three seasons. Thankfully, we will always have this orchestra version of the Good Omens theme song to vibe to.

Also, I totally want to be in that choral society collective now. I cannot sing well but maybe I can “ahhh” in unison.

The post The GOOD OMENS Theme Song Gets a Whimsical Orchestral Performance appeared first on Nerdist.

I’m on record—and the right side of history—in saying Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” power ballad in Barbie is one of the greatest moments in movie history. It’s the gift that keeps on giving and always will. Now it has, somehow, given us even more. Gosling and song composers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt just gifted us a surprise present ahead of the holidays. They’ve released Ken the EP, a special album with multiple versions of “I’m Just Ken.” And the EP’s “Merry Kristmas Barbie” also has its own amazing music video.

“I’m Just Ken” is no longer Kenough to round out your favorite playlist. Ken the EP (which we first heard about at The Hollywood Reporter) features four tracks from Gosling and Ronson. It has the original version of the song from the film and a new “Merry Kristmas Barbie” recording. It also has an “In My Feelings” acoustic rendition of the Kenergy-filled ballad. And the last song is a “Purple Disco Machine Remix” of Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken.” Each offers a very different way to enjoy the song, which sounds fantastic in any style.

We didn’t need proof of that, but we’re obviously very glad we have it.

Ken the EP is available to stream everywhere. Atlantic Records also shared the “I’m Just Ken (In My Feelings)” version on YouTube. That’s also where you’ll find another amazing gift.

The official video for “I’m Just Ken (Merry Kristmas Barbie)” is not everything you’d want from Gosling giving an over-the-top performance of a holiday rendition of the song in a studio with a full band. It’s even hammy-ier than that.

That music video exists in the same universe as La La Land, and you can’t convince me otherwise. That means Seb is now officially a Ken.

More importantly, I now have a new Christmas song to listen to 10,000 times every December. It will replace the 10,000 times I would have listened to the regular version of “I’m Just Ken” during the month.

The post Ryan Gosling’s New ‘I’m Just Ken’ EP Includes ‘Merry Kristmas Barbie’ Track and Music Video appeared first on Nerdist.

You can only play “Monster Mash” and Ray Parker Jr.’s Ghostbusters theme so many times at your Halloween party before you scare your guests away. Nobody likes a spooky shindig featuring a tired playlist overstuffed with cliche classic horror tracks everyone uses. Don’t worry though, Nerdoween is here to help your ghoulish gala rise above the usual macabre musical malaise this year. We’ve put together a collection of creepy songs from a source you might not have considered before: horror comedies. Some of our favorite frighteningly funny movies have fantastic, fiendish soundtracks of their own. Here are 12— including great title themes and memorable haunting hits—that will keep your Halloween party rocking this year.

1. An American Werewolf in London – “Traveling to East Proctor/Werewolf Theme”

We’re starting with a song from one of the best horror-comedies of all-time, An American Werewolf in London. The film features a great soundtrack of songs with the word “Moon” in them, but we’re going to set the right one for our party with composer Elmer Bernstein’s super creepy werewolf theme song. No one would go to the moors if they heard this playing. (For the record, avoid all moors in October just out of an abundance of caution.)

2. Shaun of the Dead – “The Blue Wrath”

It’s no surprise Edgar Wright found the perfect track for the opening title sequence of his zombie comedy classic Shaun of the Dead. I Monster’s unsettling “The Blue Wrath,” with its jaunty beat and inhuman “la la la la” lyrics, is a as catchy as a virus.

3. Tremors – “Main Title”

You can easily make your Halloween party a musical success by just putting on the entire Tremors score , but our favorite entry on the soundtrack is composer Ernest Troost’s title track. It’s an unnerving song that builds slowly to a dramatic crescendo. It’s so good your guests would never guess it came from a horror movie that is also hysterical.

4. What We Do in the Shadows – “You’re Dead”

This perfect mockumentary about the banal lives of vampires features a tremendous soundtrack, but we’re obsessed with Norma Tanega’s fantastic pop folk song “You’re Dead.” It’s a fun number that is inherently unnerving thanks to its repeated lyrics that scream Halloween. It’s so good the movie’s spinoff FX series also uses it as its theme. And we never, ever skip the opening credits because of it.

5. The Evil Dead – “Ascent & Infection”

We’re following up one of our most dance-able selections with one of our scariest. It’s one of the many great, terrifying tracks from composer Joseph Loduca’s score for the cult classic The Evil Dead. You can’t go wrong with any part of this soundtrack, but the long notes in the middle of this scary synth song genuinely leave us on edge wondering when the nightmare will end.

6. Zombieland – “For Whom The Bell Tolls”

Metallica’s “Sandman” might be a classic Halloween track, but there’s a reason Zombieland went with this song from the band’s 1984 album Ride the Lightning. It’s dark, heavy, and everyone knows church bells are inherently scary. It’s no mystery why “For Whom the Bell Tolls” remains one of the band’s most popular songs ever.

7. Gremlins – “Too Many Gremlins”

Some of these horror-comedy soundtracks, like composer Jerry Goldsmith’s Gremlins soundtrack, are consistently great. That makes it hard to choose just one song from each. Ultimately we went with “Too Many Gremlins” because of its attention-grabbing start. Plus, even though it is unsettling and weird, it has the perfect energy for a party. It also gets bonus points for its title. We will always laugh at the mere thought of an exhausted character looking at the camera, shrugging their shoulders and sighing, “Too many gremlins.”

8. The Cabin in the Woods – “Last”

As with Metallica, you can make an entire kick-ass Halloween playlist simply from Nine Inch Nail’s songs, so we’re pumped Chris Hemsworth’s meta horror-comedy about a group of friends-turned-test-subjects includes this track. If we were trying to escape a killer cabin in the woods “Last” would help us run through a wall.

9. Killer Klowns From Outer Space – “Hidden Klown Ship”

Since our last track runs the risk of creating a Halloween mosh pit we want to calm things down a little without turning down the creepiness. Composer John Massari’s scary score for the wonderfully absurd Killer Klowns From Outer Space is perfect for that. We could have chosen any of his songs, but we went with “Hidden Klown Ship” because it has an operatic feel to it. The song tells its own frightening story.

10. The Frighteners – “Superstar”

The Frighteners with Michael J. Fox is an underrated classic. As is Sonic Youth’s slow, methodical, very disturbing cover of the classic song “Superstar.” It’s impossible to listen to this without shuddering. This is what ghosts plays when you visit an abandoned rock venue. This is included on playlists for Halloween parties in Hell.

11. Creepshow – “Welcome to Creepshow (Main Title)”

Did you know the word “haunting” was created to describe the sound of a piano? Okay, that might not be true, but it should be. But even beyond the off-putting notes of Creepshow‘s main title from John Harrison’s fantastic score are the theme’s classic Halloween shrieks and cries. Everything about this upsets us, which is why we love it so much.

12. Planet Terror – “Cherry´s Dance Of Death”

Our final track, “Cherry’s Dance of Death” from Grindhouse‘s Planet Terror, is a dynamic instrumental number that’s equal parts rock, mariachi, and horror. Written by director Robert Rodriguez and performed by the Mexican rock band Chingon, it’s the perfect song for both a movie where a woman fights zombies with her machine gun leg and your Halloween party.

Like the rest of this playlist, it’s the perfect way to keep your Halloween party rocking better than anyone else’s.

Originally published October 8, 2018.

The post These 12 Horror-Comedy Songs Are Perfect for Your Halloween Playlist appeared first on Nerdist.

You’re all I ever wannttteeedddd. You’re all I ever needeeddd. So tell me what to do now when I want you back. If you’re under the age of 30, you probably don’t get that reference. But if you do, you are totally an NSYNC (also styled *NSYNC) fan. The infamous ‘90s boy band sang those very words on their smash debut single “I Want You Back,” quickly making millennial girls swoon over them. They released their last album, Celebrity, in 2001 and since then we have been wanting them back. Over two decades later, NSYNC is reuniting for a new song in a seemingly unorthodox way: for a Trolls movie. We got a sneak peak at NSYNC’s new reunion song “Better Place,” in the trailer for Trolls Band Together. And now the new NSYNC song has been released in full alongside the Trolls Band Together soundtrack.

Yes, this seems a bit strange for those who aren’t familiar with this universe. The Trolls films follow Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick), the pink-hued and upbeat troll who eventually becomes the queen of the Trolls. The Trolls are carefree and love to sing and dance ALL the time. She eventually falls in love with Branch, who hates all things joy until he forms a friendship and later romance with Poppy. NSYNC member Justin Timberlake not only voices Branch in the Trolls franchise, but he also wrote the Academy Award-winning theme song for the original 2016 movie, “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”

So it makes sense that Trolls Band Together would be an avenue for an NSYNC reunion song. In fact, it seems that Branch’s life will somewhat mirror Justin Timberlake’s based on what we see in the Trolls Band Together trailer. Branch is a former member of a huge boyband made of his brothers. He will apparently save one of them from a kidnapping before they have a surely happy reunion.

We only hear a snippet of NSYNC’s new reunion song in the Trolls trailer, but we can now jam out to the finished track. It sounds upbeat and fun. Have a listen to the full version of NSYNC’s new song “Better Place” below.

Additionally, Justin Timberlake shared a short behind-the-scenes look at getting the band back together to record NSYNC’s new song.

NSYNC are officially back on the music scene. “Better Place” released on September 29. What a joyous time for all NSYNC fans. Get ready to fan out like it’s 1997.

Originally published on September 14, 2023.

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Lizzo already delighted us with a surprise cameo on one epic nerdy property, Star Wars‘ The Mandalorian. But could we see her in one of the elven realms of Middle-earth next? Someone alert The Rings of Power‘s team that it’s time to get Lizzo onto the show. While that’s all just wishful thinking, Lizzo did transform into her elven alter-ego Lizzolas and shared an epic The Lord of the Rings musical performance via her Instagram. The celebrated singer, rapper, and musician even got out her elf ears for the occasion. We absolutely love it. Take a look below and experience Lizzo’s rendition of Howard Shore’s “Concerning Hobbits” from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings‘ soundtrack.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, no matter what form it takes, “Concerning Hobbits” always touches the heart. Recorders are instruments more typically associated with young children huffing out off-pitch noises. But in Lizzo’s hands the recorder becomes a fine tool to create The Lord of the Rings magic. We feel like Hobbits would like the recorder more than elves, so we have to assume Lizzolas is humoring her Hobbiton friends. But that’s the kind of friendship we like to see among the many denizens of Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues the tradition of elven song that is featured in the movies and J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. And this precedent means there would be plenty of room for Lizzo to appear, with or without her recorder. Perhaps Lizzolas could even have a duet with Princess Disa, whose powerful voice struck a transcendent chord in season one of The Lord of the Rings series. The elves and dwarves will need one another in season two… At least if Durin and Elrond have anything to say about it.

In the meanwhile, we’ll stay eagerly tuned for more nerdy stylings from Lizzo. We always love a star who isn’t afraid to embrace what they love.

The post Lizzo-las Gives Epic LORD OF THE RINGS Theme Performance on Recorder appeared first on Nerdist.

Keanu Reeves recently traded in John Wick’s weapons for a bass guitar as he took the stage to perform with the band Dogstar for the first time in many years. Right now, there are many whispers about the possibility of John Wick 5 and whether we’ll see Keanu Reeves step into the role of everyone’s favorite assassin again. But if John Wick 5 does get a green light, we probably won’t have to wait over 20 years for it. But for fans of Dogstar and Reeves as an indie rock star, it has been a minute. Reeves’ performance with Dogstar is the first the band has given in 23 years. That is a long time to wait for a sequel. But, hey, it’s never too late for the next chapter—the band has also released a music video and will be going on tour.

Keanu Reeves’ Band Dogstar Renuites

You can check out some of the band’s reunion and Reeves’ performance with Dogstar below:

Keanu Reeves’ return to the rock stage happened at the 2023 BottleRock Napa Valley festival at Napa Valley Expo. Reeves took the stage along with his Dogstar bandmates, singer Bret Domrose and drummer Robert Mailhouse, also an actor.

According to SFGATE, “Reeves played the role of stoic bassist, barely speaking during Dogstar’s one-hour set.” But the crowd was incredibly happy to see him anyway. And Reeves did give a little hop of excitement while on stage with the band. We love it.

Somehow, being part of a ’90s alt-rock band feels like the correct hobby for Keanu Reeves. Maybe it has to do with the perfectly grungy bangs that take a starring role in this performance. And hey, if John Wick does come back, perhaps we’ll find out he’s been hiding in plain sight as a musical sensation. We wouldn’t mind seeing Keanu Reeves put his musical skills to work with Dogstar, or a fictional version of the band, on the big screen.

What’s Next for Dogstar? Music Video and Tour

The band has been busy since their reunion. In addition to playing shows, Dogstar has released a music video for its song, “Everything Turns Around.” Catch Keanu Reeves rocking out below.

Happily, we also won’t have to wait 20 years for Dogstar‘s next performance. The trio announced they’ll be going on a 25+ stop tour across North America and Japan.

First up, Hermosa Beach, CA. See you there!

Originally published on May 30, 2023.

The post Keanu Reeves Reunites with Band Dogstar for First Show in 20 Years appeared first on Nerdist.

Ticketmaster will no longer surprise you with an exorbitant, expensive shock at the end of your purchase. As we learned via Variety, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, and other ticketing interfaces have promised they will now display the full price of a ticket upfront. Of course, Ticketmaster and the like will still have fees; the fees just won’t be hidden until the last minute anymore. And perhaps that will somewhat discourage the ticket-selling platform, famous for revealing its high additional fees just as a consumer is about to check out, from tacking on enormous extra costs. (Although probably not.)

Still, hopefully, this, at the very least, will allow consumers to more accurately understand what they’ll be paying and to plan accordingly… Whether that means planning to purchase or not to purchase a ticket. There’s nothing worse than seeing your total double after you’ve already imagined yourself at an event. Although a better step would be to move on eliminating Ticketmaster fees altogether, or at least moving to limit them, we’ll take the lessening of unpleasant jolts where we can get them. With any luck, this will just be the start of a better consumer experience when it comes to ticket buying from Ticketmaster and others.

The post Ticketmaster Will Now Show Full Ticket Price Upfront, No More Hidden Fees appeared first on Nerdist.

Intimidating and powerful, the sphinx Osysa had quite the run-in with Vox Machina in season two of The Legend of Vox Machina. Based on Critical Role‘s first campaign, the show follows the unlikely group of adventurers as they quest around Exandria. Osysa puts the heroes to the test, but she eventually sets them on an interesting path. And when Vox Machina encounters Osysa’s mate, Kamaljiori, Scanlan plays him a song about Osysa. Listen to the exclusive track premiere of “Song for Osysa” from The Legend of Vox Machina: Season 2 Soundtrack below.

Sam Riegel (Scanlan) performs with Alanna Ubach (Osysa) and Mr. Fantastic. It’s a beautiful song—a rare one from Scanlan that doesn’t turn into something more ribald.

The album features the score by Neal Acree along with several Scanlan originals. Riegel said in a statement:

Season Two of The Legend of Vox Machina took everything to the next level – so we knew the music had to match. From wild road songs to epic love ballads and face-melting thrash metal, the Scanlan tracks were so much fun to write. And I’m so happy we got to include vocals from other members of the cast. Turns out Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson, and even Travis Willingham can sing!

The Legend of Vox Machina: Season 2 Soundtrack track list is as follows:

1. Lemme Catch You Up – Sam Riegel, Mr. Fantastic
2. Dragonfall – Neal Acree
3. The Fall of Emon – Neal Acree
4. To Vasselheim – Neal Acree
5. The Wrath of the Chroma Conclave – Neal Acree
6. The Outhouse (End Credits) – Sam Riegel, Mr. Fantastic
7. Vasselheim – Neal Acree
8. Temple of the Stormlord – Neal Acree
9. The Slayer’s Take – Neal Acree
10. Where Do You Find Your Strength? – Neal Acree
11. Makin’ My Way – Sam Riegel, Ashley Johnson, Mr. Fantastic
12. Do Not Go Far From Me – Neal Acree
13. The Matron of Ravens – Neal Acree
14. Hail The New Champion – Neal Acree
15. Road, Road – Ashley Johnson, Travis Willingham
16. Wind – Neal Acree
17. Pass Through Fire – Neal Acree
18. The Blessing of Pyrah – Neal Acree
19. Song For Osysa – Sam Riegel, Alanna Ubach, Mr. Fantastic
20. Song For Osysa (End Credits) – Mr. Fantastic
21. Spore Trip – Neal Acree
22. The Herd of Storms – Neal Acree
23. I Would Like To Rage – Neal Acree
24. We All Rage – Sam Riegel, Travis Willingham, Mr. Fantastic
25. Finishing Move – Neal Acree
26. Strongjaw – Neal Acree
27. When The Bald Man Cries (End Credits) – Sam Riegel, Aisling Franciosi, Mr. Fantastic
28. Leia – Neal Acree
29. Threads of Fate – Neal Acree
30. Lightning In Your Face! – Sam Riegel, Mr. Fantastic
31. Leap of Faith – Neal Acree
32. The Hope Devourer – Neal Acree
33. Scanlan’s Destiny – Neal Acree
34. Epilogue – Neal Acree
35. Makin’ My Way (End Credits) – Laura Bailey, Mr. Fantastic

The Legend of Vox Machina: Season 2 Soundtrack is available digitally on June 2 from Lakeshore Records.

The post Listen to ‘Song for Osysa’ from THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA SEASON 2 SOUNDTRACK appeared first on Nerdist.

Tina Turner, the indisputable Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, has sadly passed away at the age of 83. According to her representatives, the singer and actor transitioned in her Switzerland abode after a lengthy illness. In today’s world, the words “legend” and “icon” are haphazardly tossed at many people who barely present a modicum of talent, longevity, and measurable impact in their respective career fields. But Tina Turner is indeed an icon and a legend who paved the way for future stars like Janet Jackson and Beyoncé. 

She was born Anna Mae Bullock in Tennessee on November 26, 1939 and lived in the tiny community of Nutbush. Her beginnings were humble as the daughter of a sharecropper overseer and she later became a domestic worker as a teenager. But inside her roared a fierce spirit raring to unleash itself on captivated audiences. As is the case with most Black performers of her time, Tina Turner began her singing career in the Baptist church. It’s in this space that she polished her performance chops and found her unique voice. After moving to St. Louis, her undeniable talent led to her become the frontwoman of the band formerly known as the Kings of Rhythm. Her first recording, “Boxtop,” (under the name Little Ann) set the foundation for a dizzying rise to the upper echelon of music entertainment.

The Ike & Tina Turner Revue became one of the must-see live acts of the 1960s and 1970s. The collective would often embark on lengthy tours all over the world to cater to adoring fans. She became the first Black artist and first Black woman to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. It was a clear sign she’d far exceeded “making it,” instead becoming a part of music history. Her success represented the endless possibilities for women in creative fields, pushing at barriers set in place by misogynoir.

Tina was undoubtedly THE star of the show, from the fierce, guttural growl in her voice to her impeccable showmanship, style, and signature dance moves. Whether she was singing about being a fool in love or big wheels that keep on turning, Tina Turner would sweat, spin, scream, and sing crowds into euphoric delirium. She perhaps didn’t fully realize it then, but she was laying the foundation for her future domination in another arena of music: Rock ‘n’ Roll. 

During this tumultuous time in America, Tina was an aspirational shining star to many. She was gifted and gorgeous with an electric energy that permeated the air every time she breathed. She had style, grace, a hint of mysterious aura, and an unmistakable rockstar edge. It reminded us that—although her infectious laugh and chill persona make her feel familial—she was not quite like us mere mortals. We know sadder elements of her life story all too well, but we choose to celebrate her freedom and brilliant artistry.

Following a period of transition, setbacks, and self-discovery, Tina Turner rose like a phoenix from the ashes with a determination to redefine her career on her own terms. That came in the form of Private Dancer (1984), her fifth solo studio album that brought forth a new legion of fans. Hits like the title track as well as a little tune called “What’s Love Got to Do With It” (you may have heard of it) sent her straight to solo superstardom as she began to cement her place as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. She taught us that you can reinvent yourself whenever the hell you want to, critics and skeptics be damned.

Tina soon got into acting, racking up a list of credits that bring nerds a ton of joy. Her roles as Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Acid Queen in Tommy, and The Mayor in Last Action Hero let her dive into raucous and, at times, campy acting fun. But, of course, she could never fully step away from her sky-high pumps. 

Tina Turner was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomena. She became one of the best selling artists of all-time with a string of successful sold-out tours. Her countless accolades include multiple Grammy Awards and Grammy Hall of Fame honors and two Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions. Her music is beloved by generations of fans and included in countless pop culture offerings.

However, a critical important part of her story is that she eventually attained priceless gifts. They are what many of us, including Tina, seek in our lifetimes: peace, joy, and rest. She found romantic love with music producer Erwin Bach and later retired to enjoy her quiet home in Küsnacht, Switzerland. (Tina became a Swiss citizen in 2013.) She spent decades giving her gifts to the world. And, in her final years, she left the spotlight to usher in the ease she’d worked towards all her life.

Tina Turner is simply the best… forever better than all the rest. May she rest peacefully.

The post Tina Turner Has Died, But She Will Forever Be Simply the Best appeared first on Nerdist.

Ah, Tenacious D, how we’ve missed you. It’s been years since the band released an original song. But they’re back with a new tune, and you know what? “Video Games” was worth the wait. The song from Jack Black and Kyle Gass is an ode to video games and the stories games tell. The lyrics are excellent, yes, but the video for Tenacious D’s “Video Games” rules. An animated journey through games like God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2, “Video Games” is about embracing the art of games.

Given Black’s recent performance as Bowser in the wildly successful Super Mario Bros. Movie, this song is perfect. We get this song and Bowser’s power ballad about Princess Peach? Yep, we’re blessed.

In a statement about “Video Games,” Gass and Black shared:

It’s about growing up and leaving childish things behind…. But then realizing that video games are more than just mindless toys…. In fact, they can be a true expression of huge ideas that belong in the pantheon of great works of art! It’s about time someone defended the honor and integrity of this bold new horizon. Leave it to the greatest band in the world… Tenacious D!!!

You know what, Tenacious D? It needed to be said. Video games, like any stories, contain meaning and weight. Many games offer an escape, like the best fictional worlds do, but also, video games are so much more.

The post Tenacious D Has a New Song All About ‘Video Games’ appeared first on Nerdist.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special was a perfect MCU gift for lots of reasons. One of the biggest is that it gave us the Old 97’s “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here).” The song is an instant classic, but, like so many other great noels, we don’t expect to hear it on the radio anytime soon. Stations are too busy playing Mariah Carey and Bruce Springsteen on repeat to recognize other terrific Christmas songs. But we’re not. So to celebrate some of our lesser recognized favorites we’ve put together an official Nerdist Nerdy Christmas Playlist.

It features forgotten and overlooked bangers, alternative tracks you might have never heard, comedy songs that celebrate the silliness of the season, and numbers from some of our favorite pop culture properties. From pop and punk to rock and emo, this playlist will bring you to the North Pole, the galaxy far, far away, and every place in between.

1. “I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)” – Old 97’s
2. “Dear Santa (Bring Me a Man This Christmas)” – The Weather Girls
3. “The Night Santa Went Crazy” – Weird Al
4. “Christmas in Hollis – Run DMC
5. “(Do It On My) Twin Bed” – SNL Cast, Jimmy Fallon
6. “A Grouplove Christmas” – Grouplove
7. “All I Want for Christmas (Is a Pardon from the President)” – Nick Lutsko
8. “Emo Christmas” – Wavves
9. Christmastime is Killing Us – Family Guy
10. “The Christmas Song” – Weezer
11. “Just Another Christmas Song” – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
12. “Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas” – Eels
13. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” – The Ramones
14. “Father Christmas” – The Kinks

“I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)” – Old 97’s

The “purple monkey dishwasher” of Christmas songs doesn’t get all of the holiday’s lore right, but it absolutely rocks.

“Dear Santa (Bring Me a Man This Christmas)” – The Weather Girls

The Weather Girls, most famous for “It’s Raining Men,” also delivered this fantastic track on their 1983 album Success. Think about how much better Christmas would be if you replaced every inexplicable airing of Paul McCartney’s inane “Wonderful Christmastime” with this song instead. That would really make for a wonderful Christmastime.

“The Night Santa Went Crazy” – Weird Al

Only “Weird Al” Yankovic could craft a song about Santa going full-Rambo on the North Pole and have it be funny, strangely sentimental, and a total blast.

“Christmas in Hollis” – Run DMC

Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” is an unquestioned classic that rarely—if ever—gets played on the radio. We don’t know who’s to blame for that, but they deserve coal. Lots of coal. Come on, it’s in Die Hard!

“(Do It On My) Twin Bed” – SNL Cast, Jimmy Fallon

Saturday Night Live has delivered lots of great holiday songs over four decades, but “(Do It On My) Twin Bed” might be the best. As a raunchy comedy premise it’s hilarious. But it’s also a fantastic song that you’ll be singing long after the holidays end and you’re back in your normal bed…doing whatever you do there.

“A Grouplove Christmas” – Grouplove

Grouplove gave us a delightful holiday number at the end of Bojack Horseman’s holiday special “Sabrina’s Christmas Wish,” but their best seasonal song is this gorgeous track.

“All I Want for Christmas (Is a Pardon from the President)” – Nick Lutsko

The King of Halloween proved his skills extend to other holidays with this catchy melodious Christmas track that really highlights both his musical and comedy chops. It might be even funnier if you have no idea what it’s actually about.

“Emo Christmas” – Wavves

It’s A Wonderful Life is basically an emo Christmas movie, right? So it’s not that surprising the genre lends itself to some great seasonal songs, like with this aptly named track from Wavves.

“Christmastime is Killing Us” – Family Guy

Family Guy‘s song about how greed is literally killing Santa and the elves might technically be depressing, but this track is too good (and too funny) not to include.

“The Christmas Song” – Weezer

Weezer has an EP of Christmas covers, and a very strange original called “Christmas Celebration,” but this is easily the band’s best holiday season song.

“Just Another Christmas Song” – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

This Nerdy Christmas playlist needs some soul, and it gets all that and more with this groovy track from 2015’s It’s a Holiday Soul Party. In a just world Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings would already be a staple of every holiday radio station’s lineup. Instead we gotta hear about stupid Christmas shoes every year.

“Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas” – Eels

Usually when we think “cool” during Christmas we’re talking about the temperature, but this rocking number from Eels isn’t talking about snow. This one is especially good while driving down the highway to go shopping at the mall. In fact, that’s the vibe we’re closing out the rest of this playlist with.

“Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” – The Ramones

Speaking of cool, The Ramones got into the holiday punk rock spirit with 1989’s “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight.” And just as good? The video which features a couple, uh, working things out during the holidays. Good for them!

“Father Christmas” – The Kinks

We’re ending our playlist with a Holiday song we once said is good enough to listen to all year. And we still totally stand by that. The Kinks’ “Father Christmas” is a perfect rock song that transcends the holiday. It’s also a perfect way to end our Nerdy Christmas Playlist.

Well, it will end it until we restart the whole thing and listen to it again. And again. And again. Mariah Carey fans aren’t the only ones who love playing their favorite Christmas songs on repeat.

The post A Nerdy Christmas Playlist for Great Holiday Songs You Won’t Hear on the Radio appeared first on Nerdist.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will certainly be an emotional experience for millions of fans around the world. The tragic loss of our beloved king (both onscreen and in real life) Chadwick Boseman and his looming absence in this sequel is something that cannot be ignored. So, it is no surprise that a leading song from the film’s soundtrack will honor Chadwick’s legacy. (And also by extension honors T’Challa in the MCU.) And, it is even more special because it marks the return of Rihanna to music. As we know, fans have been hilariously begging the mogul for more music since 2016. And now, Rihanna’s new song for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever “Lift Me Up” is out in the world. And oh, is it beautiful. 

Rihanna dropped the song on October 28, just two weeks before the film’s release. It’s lovely to hear her distinct voice once again as she sings heartfelt lyrics like this: 

Burning in a hopeless dream/Hold me when you go to sleep/Keep me in the warmth of your love/When you depart, keep me safe/Safe and sound.

There’s a mix of sadness, hope, and wistfulness in its message. The soothing instrumental alone is one that you’ll want to put on repeat. Of course, Rihanna is one of the writers on the song along with Ryan Coogler, Priscilla Renea, and Ludwig Göransson, who is known for his scores for Black Panther and the Creed franchise. But the most noticeable imprint on Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” is undoubtedly Tems, a Nigerian artist whose signature sound is taking over the US. It’s not shocking that she’s a writer for this song because it sounds a lot like something she would sing.

And it seems Rihanna is finally ready to dive back into music after causally dominating the beauty and fashion industry. We even heard there’s a football game happening during the Rihanna concert next year. (I’m only partially kidding because I do genuinely love football. But I love Rihanna more.) 

“Lift Me Up” is available everywhere now, so let Rihanna’s voice carry you into a peaceful place in preparation for Wakanda Forever.

The post Rihanna Releases ‘Lift Me Up’ Single for BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER appeared first on Nerdist.

Nick Lutsko’s “Spirit Halloween” trilogy will forever be a staple our spooky song playlist. But its greatness wasn’t enough to keep him in power. A simple misunderstanding/possible murder threat forced him to resign as President of Halloween. Then an unpopular tax—combined with the unlawful political imprisonment of Beetlejuice—resulted in him fleeing Halloween’s royal throne. Now, either all of that makes sense to you or it’s all total nonsense. But no matter which group you’re in, you have everything you need to know to enjoy his newest track. With no formal ruling responsibilities to attend to, this year the musician has dedicated himself to his craft. He’s releasing a new song every week in October. And we have your exclusive first listen to his latest.

This time Halloween’s king is a 19th-century ghost who learns there are far greater terrors that can possess a home. And while this music video is one of his most absurd yet (which is really saying something), it’s sure to genuinely scare one group: parents haunted by a certain kid’s property.

If this is your initial introduction to Nick Lutsko congratulations! You started where you should, in the (very strange) deep end of one of our favorite artists. But for fans of the Nick Lutsko Expanded Universe, this is song is part of a new collection unconnected to his past works. Lutsko explained that and more when we talked to him about “A Ghost Story.”

Nerdist: You have a young daughter, so as a parent myself I have to ask, how much of “A Ghost Story” comes from the fact kid’s programming literally haunts parents forced to watch certain things over and over and over again?

Nick Lutsko: That’s definitely a big part of it. Ironically, my daughter doesn’t watch CoComelon. Primarily because her mom and I don’t like it. I was baffled by some of the songs that started popping up on her automated playlists. They sound like songs written by machines trying to sound human. Then I found out they have like a billion subscribers or whatever.

What were the other inspirations for this song and video?

Lutsko: I’m doing this self-imposed challenge where I write a song and shoot a video every week in October leading up to our show at The Roxy (in LA) on Halloween night. I wanted to do a series of short stories that don’t share any connective tissue with previous lore. This is song number three, and the hope is that turning myself into a 19th century ghost will make that more clear than the previous songs might have.

The initial concept was that I was a ghost who hadn’t had the opportunity to haunt anyone in a very long time. I was so excited because a new person for me to scare was finally moving in. But then that person ends up being way too scary for me. I played around with that person being Rob Zombie, Stephen King, Tim Burton, etc. But I couldn’t really make any of those ideas click. Then I started thinking “What is something that is scary but isn’t supposed to be?” My wife suggested CoComelon and everything fell into place from there.

For the video I’ve worked with Brielle Garcia on a handful of projects and I’m always amazed at what she’s capable of, especially with almost no notice. There’s no way I could have done this video without her. She is a genius.

Considering your body of work, this is really saying something: this is one of the most absurd ideas you’ve ever had. Has there ever been an idea that was too strange even for you?

Lutsko: Nothing really comes to mind, but I could make one up right now. James Corden takes off his shirt and reveals that his stomach is actually a bagpipe made of human skin. He blows into one of the many pipes (which he tucks into his pants) and summons many nightcrawlers (worms). He has no reason to, he just enjoys their company. That idea would be way too strange for me.

Finally, in honor of this song, if you could actually haunt anyone who would it be?

Lutsko: Christopher Lloyd.

That’s exactly who we thought he’d say. If you’re a fan you already know why. And if you’re just meeting Nick Lutsko for the first time we encourage you to find out why he hates Christopher Lloyd.

Well, that is unless you’re the CoComelon family. In that case just leave the poor guy alone, you scary weirdos.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post Nick Lutsko Is a Specter Haunted by a Worse Terror in New Song ‘A Ghost Story’ appeared first on Nerdist.

Though we’re still getting ready for Halloween, for some people this time of year only means one thing: Christmas is around the corner. If you’re excited for the most wonderful time of the year then we’ve got a delightful treat for you. We’re celebrating the release of the definitive, bonus-filled edition of the A Charlie Brown Christmas album! And we’re doing so by gifting you with a previously unreleased take of Vince Guaraldi’s beloved “The Christmas Song.” 

Craft Recordings told us “The Christmas Song (Take 8)” (featured in the Deluxe Edition LP & CD and the Super Deluxe Edition boxset) was recorded on October 28, 1965. Notably, it’s the only solo piano take of the holiday classic and features an understated but beautiful performance by Guaraldi.

You can find out more about the release below.

For the first time ever, the perennial Christmas album by Vince Guaraldi (also the best-selling jazz album of all time) is being released by Craft Recordings as a Super Deluxe Edition (available as a 5-disc box set featuring 4-CDs + Blu-ray audio disc or as an 80-track digital collection – due out December 2 and October 14 respectively) and as a Deluxe Edition (available in 2-LP/digital formats on October 14 and on CD this November 4).

The Super Deluxe Edition offers fans an unparalleled deep dive into all aspects of A Charlie Brown Christmas, with 50 never-before-heard outtakes from five recording sessions ‒ placing listeners in the studio as Guaraldi and his bandmates work through their arrangements, crafting cues such as “Christmas Is Coming” and “Skating.” Super Deluxe also includes a new 2022 stereo mix of the original 1965 11-track album (remastered from the original 3-track and 2-track sources by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Paul Blakemore) in standard, hi-resolution, and Atmos® audio formats.

The set comes housed in a 59-page hardcover book, which includes: new extensive liner notes by PEANUTS® historian Derrick Bang (author of Vince Guaraldi at the Piano), a special message from the family of Lee Mendelson (the late Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning producer and co-creator of the PEANUTS® animated specials), classic PEANUTS® animation from Charles Schulz, rare photos, and session notes.

For collectors of the perennial 1965 version of the album, the Gold Foil Edition(released September 16) is a one-time only vinyl pressing (available in a variety of colored variants at select retailers) featuring the traditionally white jacket wrapped in a gold foil, while the PEANUTS® characters and tree are embossed for a striking look.

“The wealth of music captured in these half-dozen sessions is—in a word—amazing,” marvels PEANUTS® historian Derrick Bang in his liner notes. “It’s also fascinating to observe how a given tune evolves, over the course of the six weeks these sessions took place, from September 17 through October 28, 1965…. Along the way, you’ll hear all manner of false starts, initially terrific takes that collapse when Guaraldi fluffs a few notes, and outré experiments that sound almost nothing like what we know today.” He continues, “Consider this a ringside seat—a place of honor, watching and listening from the recording engineer’s booth—as the individual songs for this historic album were fine-tuned and ultimately laid down.”

It’s an incredibly exciting release will delight Peanuts fans of all ages. And will also charm Christmas music aficionados. We cannot wait!

You’ll be able to purchase both versions digitally on October 14, along with the physical copy of the two disc LP. Deluxe Edition. Physical releases for the 5-disc box set version of Super Deluxe Edition and the CD version of Deluxe Edition will follow on December and November 4 respectively.

The post ‘Tis the Season to Listen to an Unreleased Take of Charlie Brown’s ‘The Christmas Song’ appeared first on Nerdist.

The life and genius of David Bowie comes to life in the kaleidoscopic, rock music explosion Moonage Daydream. We spoke to the film’s writer-director-editor Brett Morgen about the arduous process of bringing Bowie’s indelible music and style to IMAX screens.

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Back in 1982, a lost little alien and an 8-year-old boy met on screen and became best friends. And the collective hearts of the world melted. When Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial hit theaters, a timeless classic was born, one we still love decades later. And a big part of that movie’s success was the incredible score by master composer John Williams.

And now, the folks at Mondo are releasing a special 40th-anniversary edition of Williams’ iconic score for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in a new vinyl edition. Much like his music for Star Wars and Indiana Jones, it’s hard to imagine the film without instantly thinking of Williams’ music. You can read details for this release, as well as see the first images, down below:

This new 40th Anniversary edition comes via a partnership with Geffen Records and Universal Pictures. It features all-new artwork by Dan McCarthy, showcasing E.T. arriving on Earth. It’s pressed on 180-gram vinyl in “Full Moon” and “Heartlight” colorways (also available on 180-gram black vinyl). This reissue is produced by Bruce Botnick & Mike Matessino. The E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial soundtrack on vinyl will be available for pre-order on Wednesday, August 31 at 12pm CT for $40 at MondoShop.com.

You can read the full tracklist below.

SIDE A

1. Main Title 1:14

2. Far From Home / E.T. Alone 6:57

3. The Encounter 1:49

4. Bait for E.T. 1:45

5. Meeting E.T. 2:08

6. E.T.’s New Home 1:28

7. The Beginning of a Friendship 2:53

8. Toys 3:13

SIDE B

1. I’m Keeping Him 2:20

2. E.T.’s Powers 2:44

3. The Closet 0:53

4. E.T. and Elliott Get Drunk 2:57

5. Frogs 2:21

6. The Kiss 0:49

7. Levitation 0:41

8. At Home 5:38

9. The Magic of Halloween 2:55

SIDE C

1. Sending The Signal 3:58

2. Searching for E.T. 4:18

3. Invading Elliott’s House 2:24

4. Stay With Me 2:24

5. Losing E.T. 2:04

6. E.T. Is Alive 4:22

SIDE D

1. The Rescue and Bike Chase 8:07

2. The Departure 7:07

3. End Credits 3:55

The post John Williams’ E.T. Score Gets 40th Anniversary Vinyl Release appeared first on Nerdist.

You really can get everything at IKEA. Even musical instruments it turns out, if you’re handy enough. A hobbyist in Belgium certainly is, proving you can make a stylish working guitar from pieces of an IKEA crib, shelf, and chair. Plus some random hardware he apparently stole from his office and parent’s house. Even the infamous hex key, also called an Allen wrench, that accompanies every IKEA build makes it onto the IKEA furniture guitar. He named the guitar Vecnå and shows off at the end of the video.

We learned about this cool project thanks to Laughing Squid. The tchiks guitars YouTube channel and Instagram feed is full of other inventive guitar builds and tutorials. He kept saying the IKEA furniture guitar was a joke, which it may have been to start. But considering he spent two weeks on the build, he clearly became dedicated.

Watching the guitar come together piece by piece as he dismantles furniture is quite amazing. I knew IKEA products aren’t always made of wood, but I had no idea so much of the company’s products had a honeycomb structure made of paper inside. He uses that inside the IKEA furniture guitar and leaves the edges open, showing the unconventional material off with every note. The best part of the video though, is when his cat and daughter wander through to “help.” 

We’ve see a lot of creative guitar builds recently. It’s an inventive medium and leads to some beautiful instruments. And music. Check out this one made of colored pencils. There’s also a guitar that used to be plastic trash found on the beach. And of course there’s even one made out of LEGO bricks. 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

The post Guitar Made From IKEA Furniture Still Sounds Beautiful appeared first on Nerdist.

Rick Astley’s hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up” is undoubtedly a banger. That doesn’t mean you ever want to hear it again. But when you do, it’s impossible not to sing along. And do some of the dances too. That’s what AAA auto insurance is counting on with their commercial recreating the music video almost shot for shot. Astley’s is even dressed the same. Yes, the joutfit returns! So if you’re nostalgic for the music of 1987, or the memes of 2007, enjoy. 

35 years after the original came out, the commercial hit up some of the very random locations we seemed to get in all 80s music videos. But instead of a ballroom, this time there’s AAA offices. The bar has been swapped out for a water cooler. There’s a checklist of all the things the auto insurance carrier won’t do, including “give you up,” of course. Though they don’t promise not to make you cry, tell a lie, and hurt you. Which seems a bit ominous. 

Thankfully YouTuber hungrychad made a shot by shot comparison of the commercial and the original music video. It doesn’t include the song, so if you want your dose of nostalgia without getting it in your head for the next week, the video below is the way to go. 

We got the song in our heads thanks to Boing Boing. If you want even more, there’s a delightful LEGO version too. The music video has over a billion views. But how many of those were only a few seconds and then someone cursing because they fell for it? Somehow, the Rickroll has remained relevant, or at least present. In 2020, a service offered to Rickroll Zoom meetings. 

If you need a song chaser, enjoy Rick Astley and the Foo Fighters covering each other’s music. 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

The post Rick Astley Recreates ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ Video for AAA Commercial appeared first on Nerdist.

In the ’70s/’80s heyday of Dungeons & Dragons, there wasn’t ever an official soundtrack. No one thought to make soundtracks to tabletop games back then. Nerdy kids just had to have bands like Rush or Asia on in the background during their campaigns. But these days, the D&D folks are a little bit savvier. Via Polygon, we’ve learned that in conjunction with Wizards of the Coast’s recently released Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, they’ve also released a full-length soundtrack album called Spelljams to go with it. And it is free to stream and download.

The new campaign was partially inspired by the 1980 sci-fi film Flash Gordon. Yes, the one with the awesome theme song by Queen. Spelljammer is an over-the-top space opera where the players have to fight to save their home planet from an evil Elven Empire that wishes to destroy it. Just like the Queen score was crucial to Flash Gordon, the Spelljammer: Adventures in Space soundtrack is just as crucial to the game.

Chris Perkins, the story architect, worked with The Decemberists’ guitarist Chris Funk, who curated the album. The different artists were tasked with coming up with music and themes for things such as space clowns, space vampires, and space whales. Who could say no to that? If a 1970s van with airbrushed art of a warrior maiden on a pegasus had a sound, it would be one just like this.

“Arena of Blood” in particular sounds like a track that Stranger Things’ Eddie Munson would rock out to during a Hellfire Club get-together. The album will also be available in a vinyl collectors’ edition. The coolest part? It will have a triple gatefold LP cover that will also function as a Dungeon Masters’ screen. You can pre-order the vinyl edition right here. And you can check out the full tracklist below.

1. “Seeds Of Destruction” — Magic Sword
2. “Arena Of Blood” — Osees
3. “Space Is A Place” — Reggie Watts
4. “Visible Lights” — TEKE::TEKE
5. “Far” — Black Marble
6. “Left Hand Path” — Mikaela Davis
7. “Love is the disaster” — Lucius
8. “Xedalli” — Penny & Sparrow
9. “Moon Dancer” — Y La Bamba
10. “Light of Xaryxis” — Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
11. “Spacefighters” — MonoNeon
12. “Crystalline Climbers” — Cardioid & pink paint
13. “Me and The Moon” — Devon Gilfillian
14. “Endless Sea” — Red Fang
15. “Ghost Of The Nautiloid” — Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band
16. “Forgotten Land” — Deru, Arooj Aftab
17. “Topolah’s Song” — Wizard of Waz
18. “chaotic.evil.astral.elves” — Califone
19. “The Door To Endlessness” — Shabazz Palaces

The post New D&D Campaign SPELLJAMMER Has Its Own Trippy Soundtrack Album appeared first on Nerdist.

YouTube guitarist Rob Scallon has amassed millions of followers thanks to his Metallica covers for banjo and sitar. Now he can add another instrument to his repertoire—the saw. In the video below, Scallon gets lessons from Natalia Paruz, also known as the Saw Lady. She gained popularity playing the eerie music in subway stations. They experiment with each other’s instruments, play duets including a Metallica song, and make some beautiful saw and guitar music together. All without hurting themselves or needing a tetanus booster shot.

 Scallon takes to the saw as a musical instrument quite quickly and experiments with using a mallet, a bow, and his hands. Paruz patiently teaches him every step of the way, from how to hold it to how to play scales. Vibrato is even possible on a musical saw, though it’s apparently a bit of a thigh workout. They also discuss the importance of saw blade length and thickness to the sound.

Scallon’s first song on this instrumental saw is “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic, of course. They do eventually get into a Metallica song, which is cool on a saw. Which goes up there with “Enter Sandman” sung by Kristen Bell, also known as Princess Anna from Frozen, on the list of Metallica covers we didn’t know we needed but are grateful we have. 

Scallon and Paruz have some scientific discussions along the way too. They even put powder on the saw to show the vibrations rippling down the blade and how they change depending on the note played.

Who knew the saw was such a simple yet interesting musical instrument? Or for the less musically inclined, you could always mod your bicycle to have saw blades for wheels. 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

The post A Guitarist and the ‘Saw Lady’ Switch Instruments for a Metallica Duet appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s been over thirty years since his passing, but Freddie Mercury is still one of the greatest rock legends of all time. And just when we thought we’ve already heard every Freddie song recorded with Queen, another one comes along. A new track has just appeared from within the vaults. According to a report from Deadline, his Queen bandmates will soon release it in a remastered version. The song will release sometime this September.

The song goes by the title “Face It Alone.” Queen originally recorded it for their 13th studio album, The Miracle, in 1989. This was a mere two years prior to Freddie’s untimely passing due to complications from AIDS. Despite his worsening medical condition at the time, you’d never know listening to any Queen song from that era. Freddie’s voice was always operatic and gorgeous.

“Face It Alone” didn’t make the final cut for The Miracle. But Freddie’s Queen compatriots Brian May and Roger Taylor recently discovered the demo versions. In an interview, they said they’d pretty much forgotten about the song entirely. May said in an interview, “It was kind of hiding in plain sight. We looked at it many times and thought, ‘Oh no, we can’t really rescue that.’ But in fact, we went in there again and our wonderful engineering team went, ‘Okay, we can do this and this.’ It’s like kind of stitching bits together. But it’s beautiful. It’s touching.”

The album from which “Face It Alone” originally came from was the second to last album Freddie recorded before he died in 1991. It wasn’t that well-received upon release, but time has been far kinder to it. Although Queen has had other frontmen since Freddie’s passing, none have ever touched what Freddie did. Here’s hoping that this is another reminder to the world of just how amazingly talented he truly was.

The post Queen to Release Lost Freddie Mercury Song Later This Year appeared first on Nerdist.

The Summer of 1982 is a pivotal time in pop culture history. Films like Poltergeist, E.T., Mad Max 2, Blade Runner, and TRON all hit theaters, capturing the hearts of audiences and leaving an indelible impact on their successors. Of course, it is the stories, cinematography, dialogue, and actors who anchor much of this love. But another critical aspect of their resonating success is often their scores and soundtracks.

The summer of ‘82 lineup represents a wide range of musical proclivities, infusing ‘60s nostalgia, sweeping orchestras, and the popular sounds of the time period like the synthesizer into our slate of films. Some of the songs in these films went on to be just as ubiquitous, if not more, than the properties they derive from. Or, they inspired songs for decades to come. Let’s take a look back at all those epic scores, theme songs, and jams that make these Summer of 1982 films extra special. (And, there’s a special treat for you at the end of this post!)

Orchestral Sounds from Warriors to Space Adventures

A common thread among our ‘82 film list is the use of sweeping orchestral tones in scores. We hear them in Conan the Barbarian and The Beastmaster, which is interesting considering the film’s similar settings and tones. However, Conan the Barbarian’s music is by Basil Poledouris while Lee Holdridge takes the reins for The Beastmaster. It makes total sense to heighten viewers’ excitement in these action-packed films with a grand score filled with horns to sound war. We get this in The Beastmaster’s frankly epic “The Battle On The Pyramid” part one and two.

Of course, you cannot talk about big, sweeping scores without the man, the legend himself: John Williams. His work spans several generations of moviegoers from the ‘70s kids who were lucky enough to experience the rise of Star Wars in theaters to ‘90s kids delighting in the chaotic sounds of the McCallisters running through the airport sans Kevin. In the between decade, specifically 1982, Williams made his mark on the summer. He’s responsible for E.T. the Extra-terrestrial’s iconic score. Empathetic, stunning, and heartfelt, his music elevates the film’s touching premise. It became a winner of not one but four prestigious awards: an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Grammy, and BAFTA. Without a doubt, this is one of the most well-known scores of all-time. 

John Williams isn’t the only composer to drop heat in ‘82. Jerry Goldsmith also had quite the fantastic year with the scores for Poltergeist and The Secret of NIMH. Both soundtracks lean heavily into Goldsmith’s 20th-century orchestral inspirations, swinging from the lullaby inspired theme for Poltergeist’s Carol Anne to the lively, whimsical flutes of The Secret of NIMH’s “Flying.”

Goldsmith’s signature sounds certainly resonate with Star Trek fans as he’s composed five of the films. Interestingly, the Star Trek film from 1982, The Wrath of Khan, is one that doesn’t feature his melodic guidance. Why? The answer is simple. The second Star Trek film was working on a shoestring budget and simply could not afford him. Yesterday’s price is not today’s price. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The filmmakers said they didn’t want a John Williams-esque, orchestral sound but something more “modern.” This seems a bit shady but that’s not my business.

Synth Sounds and Billboard Hits

Anyway, the folks behind The Wrath of Khan wanted something with a nautical and swashbuckling vibe. Think Pirates of the Caribbean. And that’s what budding composer James Horner, who was 28 at the time, did. He leaned towards the synthesizer, a huge component of ‘80s music, eschewing the orchestral sounds of E.T. and The Thing. Speaking of The Thing, while it is a John Carpenter film, the score is actually by Ennio Morricone, who takes Carpenter’s dream of a “European” musical sound combined with his signature sound to heart. It’s quite subtle and unsettling, just like the location in the film. Brain May’s composition on Max Max 2: Road Warrior goes the opposite way with some orchestral grandeur. But it’s with a Western flair to reflect that “fight me on sight” and often bleak/dusty/plain lawless atmosphere you’d get from those films. 

The synth sound and/or pop rock also show up in Blade Runner (composed by Greek electronic musician Vangelis) and TRON, both films with a futuristic plot. Frustratingly, TRON’s composer Wendy Carlos (who is also responsible for The Shining’s haunting score) is the only woman among a sea of male composers. The TRON soundtrack also features two tracks by the rock band Journey: “Only Solutions” and “1990s Theme.” The former really speaks to protagonist Kevin Flynn’s experience as a man diving into a mysterious unknown world and well, producing a solution to right an egregious wrong against him. 

“Only Solutions” didn’t become a chart-topping hit like, oh, a little Journey tune called “Don’t Stop Believin’.” But there’s another ubiquitous rock song from a 1982 film that is now legendary. “The Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor is a staple at sporting events because it encapsulates the relentless drive of an athlete. The lyrics embody the determination to face a rival and come out on top, to get to (and remain) at the top of their game. And that’s exactly what happens in Rocky III, where our titular hero is no longer the underdog working diligently for his shot.

Instead, Rocky’s big into his ego until Clubber Lang knocks him on his ass literally and figuratively. Balboa’s good friend Apollo Creed tells him that he must find that motivation and get the “eye of the tiger” look back. It’s honestly one of the best song/film pairings of all-time, which is interesting considering this wasn’t the original plan for a theme song. Sylvester Stallone wanted Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” but couldn’t secure the rights to it.

So, after jamming to some Journey, he asked Jim Peterik (a Journey member) to write a song for the film. The group watched the film and, you guessed it, Apollo’s speech led to this song’s existence. “Eye of the Tiger” became the number one single on Billboard Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks and scored a Grammy the following year. And, who can possibly forget the Rocky’s inspiring theme song that we hear when he’s doing those great training montages? A true classic.

Quite a few famous radio songs interweave into Fast Times at Ridgemont High. This makes a ton of sense because, like Rocky III, it is rooted in ‘80s reality; however, it leans more into the pop culture of the time as a coming-of-age film. Soundtrack songs like Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby” hit high on the Billboard charts that year while other songs like “We Got the Beat” by The Go-Gos (1980) were featured in the film yet not on the official soundtrack. 

Art Influencing the Future and Odes to the Past 

Fast Times at Ridgemont High takes influence from pop culture at the time. Rocky III gives inspiration to a rock band. But neither of them are quite like what comes out of Annie. It’s born from the 1977 Broadway musical of the same name and while its songs are not representative of the ‘80s sound, they are now iconic. Annie’s wistful “Tomorrow” was perhaps the most optimistic musical tune since Dorothy Gale sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” It gives hope not only to those who long for love, but to our friendly neighborhood Deadpool years later as he saves Cable’s life.

Speaking of long-lasting and interesting inspiration, the film’s prolific composer Charles Strouse nabbed a Grammy nomination years later for “Hard Knock Life.” How? Well, back in the late ‘90s Jay-Z not only named his third album after the tune but features a prominent sample of the song for its title track. The song was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1999 but could not defeat Will Smith’s inescapable “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.” Fun times.

Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid and Grease 2 also fall outside of the ‘80s spectrum due to their narrative settings. The former is a humorous homage to film noir and detective films so the score, composed by Miklós Rózsa, reflects that with orchestral sounds that are sweeping, suspenseful, and rather romantic and dreamy. 

Grease 2, on the other hand, reflects ‘60s high school life with some upbeat and often funny tunes. It doesn’t get the same accolades as its predecessor in many ways. But it features some classics like The Four Tops “Back to School Again” and the cast singing “Who’s That Guy?” 

The Horror (Franchise) of It All

Finally, there are two big films from horror franchises in their third installments that have some fun music history. First, there’s Friday the 13th Part III, which brings its composer Harry Manfredini back for another round. Of course, a lot of the music is for scares, including Jason’s infamous “theme sound” of “ke ke ke, ma ma ma” that Manfredini spoke himself. It’s become a staple in pop culture that it as vital to the franchise as the hockey mask that makes its debut in this film. But the really wild news is the disco version of Jason’s song, which allegedly became a club banger. I mean… I can see it vibing at a Halloween party but the club?! It was a weird time indeed. 

And, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, like its predecessors, does not have a symphonic score. Instead there’s music for building tension and scary moments with John Carpenter taking the reins. The franchise’s piano jam of a theme is also missing because this film doesn’t have Michael Myers. Fans get a synthesizer heavy electronic tune that’s a low-key jam. Many say this film is underrated and I dare say that its score is too. We also get the gift of a creepy song about Halloween coming in the tune of London Bridge.

Of course, there were lots of popular songs outside of what’s featured in these fictional films. It was a little too early for Michael Jackson’s Thriller greatness which came in Fall 1982. (Fun fact: Jackson did a song called “Someone in the Dark” for E.T.‘s audiobook and won a Grammy for it.) But these were a few of the hot songs of the summer (May-August 1982):

• “Ebony and Ivory” – Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
• “Don’t You Want Me” – The Human League
• “Let It Whip” – Dazz Band
• “Love Come Down” – Evelyn “Champagne” King
• “Jack & Diane” – John Mellencamp
• “I Like It” – DeBarge
• “The Message” – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
• “777-9311” – The Time
• “I Keep Forgettin'” – Michael McDonald
• “Do Me Baby” – Prince
• “Vacation” – The Go-Go’s

Celebrate the greatest summer movies of all-time and let the haunting, happy, and hopeful tunes play. In fact, we’ve made it easy for your with our Summer of ’82 playlist featuring a few great scores and songs from the time.

The post The Songs, Scores, and Sounds of Summer 1982 Films appeared first on Nerdist.

Our emo hearts are soaring (moodily) right now. After eight years, My Chemical Romance is back with a new song and it is everything we’ve been waiting for. The band dropped “The Foundations of Decay” on May 12. You can listen to the six-minute song—and a stunning visualization—right here.

The song captures every bit of the group’s classic sound. There’s the slow build into an angsty, fiery burst of energy. “The Foundations of Decay” is the group’s first new track since 2014’s “Fake Your Death.” That song released instead as part of May Death Never Stop You, a My Chemical Romance greatest hits album. The group split just ahead of the greatest hits album, which released in lieu of their fifth album. Luckily the group reunited in the late 2010s. They even planned a 2020 tour across North America and Europe. But that was, of course, pushed back to 2022. According to CNN, Doug McKean, MCR frontman Gerard Way and guitarist Ray Toro produced the track. McKean worked with the group as an engineer throughout the 2000s.

Now, with this new music, the beloved emo rock group is back in full swing. And we are grateful. Of course, here at Nerdist, we’ve been listening to a lot of MCR. (To be quite honest, we never really stopped.) While Nirvana specifically influenced The Batman‘s moody energy, everything about the movie and its marketing hit the emo sweet spot quite well. So much so, we couldn’t help but come up with a little Batman-inspired playlist of our own—of course featuring some classic MCR tracks.

While the band has officially announced their fifth studio album is on the way, this new song has us hopeful. Maybe they’ll release another new track to go along with Umbrella Academy season three this summer? One can only hope!

The post My Chemical Romance Releases First New Song in Eight Years appeared first on Nerdist.

As children, it feels like colored pencils were always a part of our daily lives. But as adults, unless you’re an artist, when was the last time you held one in your hands? Well, we found one adult who found a use for a whole lot of colored pencils, when he used a ton of them to create a working musical instrument. YouTuber Burls Art took 2,000 colored pencils and turned them into a neck-through electric guitar. On his channel, he went step by step through the entire process of its creation. You can watch the full video right here:

This isn’t the first time this artist has created a colored pencil guitar. His first one was nearly three years ago. But after creating many more cool custom guitars since then, including ones made out of trash from the ocean, he thought he’d give it another go. If only to see if he could do anything new with the idea. Unlike his previous colored pencil guitar, this time the neck portion was a part of the mold. (These kinds of electric guitars have the name “neck throughs” due to this feature). In the end, the final result speaks for itself.

We’re not entirely sure how long it took to create this guitar, but the video shows it was a painstaking process. Once finished with the guitar, its creator displayed his musical skills a little, playing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story. A perfect song for something that recalls childhood joy as much as colored pencils do. The Burls Art channel has several other amazing custom guitar builds, including one out of LEGO. Other videos include guitars created from paper, carbon fiber cloth, coffee beans, and even salt. To see more of these amazing creations, head on over to the Burls Art YouTube channel.

The post An Electric Guitar Made From 2,000 Colored Pencils Is a Work of Art appeared first on Nerdist.

Horror movies are often only as good as their musical scores. What is John Carpenter’s Halloween without its iconic theme? Or A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist, and so many others? But perhaps the first truly legendary horror film score came in 1960, with Bernard Herrmann’s music from Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece, Psycho. We just can’t imagine the world of the Bates Motel and all of its unseemly goings-on without the sounds of those sharp strings.

Now, via Laughing Squid, we’ve seen maybe the best tribute to Psycho’s iconic score yet. Musician Samara Ginsberg performed an eight-part cello cover of the theme, and she does it dressed up as the slash happy Mrs. Bates. Apologies in advance if it makes you want to avoid taking any showers. You can watch the full video right here.

So is Ginsberg dressed as the actual “rotting in the fruit cellar” Mrs. Bates, or is she Norman impersonating his dear old Mother? We’re going to bet on the latter. Since she definitely doesn’t look like Norman used his taxidermy skills on her, and still looks “fresh.” Now, Ginsberg didn’t do the infamous music from Marion Crane’s untimely demise in the shower. But really, that would have taken up less than a minute. We get why she skipped that.

This Psycho tribute is hardly the first cello tribute that Samara Ginsberg has performed via her YouTube channel. And just as with Psycho, there is some cosplay for a few others as well. She put on a pair of rabbit ears when doing the Tiny Toon Adventures theme. And for “The Imperial March,” she donned the helmet of Lord Vader himself. And for you retro cartoon fans, she’s got cello covers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, He-Man, and Thundercats. Be sure to head on over to her channel to check them out.

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During his lifetime, Prince was an enigma. The musical icon loved to perpetuate a mysterious perception of himself to the public. He rarely gave interviews, and when he did, he was usually pretty cryptic. Prince was just never keen on revealing too much about his past. Because of that, there was very little we knew about Prince’s childhood, beyond a few high school yearbook photos here and there.

But recently, a local Minnesota TV station WCCO found a rare treasure when digging through their archives — interview footage of Prince as an 11-year-old kid. The footage was from a 1970 teacher’s strike, at a school where Prince was a student. At first, they weren’t sure it was him, despite the Little Prince being a dead ringer for his adult self. With a little detective work, they determined it was, in fact, the Purple One. You can watch the full report, which includes all the footage, above.

Prince had such a distinctive face, you can see how the station employee immediately recognized him, even as a child. But he still needed outside confirmation. Sadly, the audio portions of the footage sustained damaged. And it took a lot of work to restore them. Even then, the little boy in the video never said “my name is Prince Nelson.” So they had to find his old classmates to confirm if that was indeed their friend “Skipper.” (Yes, that was Prince’s childhood nickname). Luckily, a few of his old friends were still living in Minneapolis, and confirmed his identity.

It’s wild to think that just eight years after they shot that news report, Prince would self-produce his first album at age 19. And ten years after that news footage, he was posing in a speedo for his album Dirty Mind. But even the raciest of pop stars once had an innocent childhood. And now we have proof positive that once upon a time, Prince was just a sweet little kid too.

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The Foo Fighters have unquestionably claimed the title of a beloved band of our time. From horror movie shenanigans to jamming with kids to just plain seeming like good people, the band always spreads good cheer. This is why the loss of one of its members feels especially difficult. Sadly, the Foo Fighters’ drummer, Taylor Hawkins, passed away at 50.

No details about the circumstances surrounding Hawkins’ death have released, according to Deadline. But regardless of the specifics, Hawkins was clearly dear to his bandmates and fans and will be missed.

The Foo Fighters shared a short statement honoring Taylor Hawkins. They specifically note that Hawkins’ “musical spirit and infectious laughter” will remain with all of us. Both those things clearly touched even the most casual of fans.

According to Deadline, Hawkins began his career as a drummer in the 1990s. He drummed for the band Sylvia and for singer Sass Jordan. He even joined Alanis Morissette on the tour for her famous album Jagged Little Pill. After that, Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters in 1997. Hawkins played the drums for every Foo Fighters album since There Is Nothing Left To Lose, which released in 1999. He also at times offered vocals and played other instruments for the band. Alongside his bandmates, he joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

Many fans took to Twitter to remember Taylor Hawkins. And famous and musical voices joined in to celebrate the life of an incredible performer.

From the first lady of the United States to rock legends, it’s clear that Taylor Hawkins made a great impact with his work. And always had a ready smile for all those around him. Although this loss feels painful, we will remember Hawkins’ legacy through the beautiful music he helped to create.

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For 45 years fans of the Rolling Stones have been sharing and downloading bootleg copies of an unofficial album. The band’s Live At The El Mocambo came from two legendary shows they performed in 1977. But you won’t have to go looking for it in the dark corners of the internet any longer. The band has announced it’s finally giving those memorable nights their own record. And this fully mixed deluxe edition should make the long, long wait worth it.

This spring the Rolling Stones will make something very old new again. (News we first heard about at Variety.) Live At The El Mocambo marks the official release of an album that has only previously existed as a bootleg. It features performances from the group’s two infamous secret shows held at the 300-person Toronto club in March of 1977. Radio listeners who won tickets to the show had no idea who’d they really be seeing on stage. The real April Wine did actually open the show as advertised. But the mysterious Cockroaches ended up being one of the most famous rock bands in history.

A pretty good prize for a radio contest! And also for any contest!

Previously four songs from those shows ended up on the group’s Love You Live album released in September 1977. The new record will include the band’s full set from March 5. Along with three bonus tracks from the night before. All newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. And fans will be able to get theirs in one of three formats. That includes a deluxe two-CD release ($18.99), a 4LP edition on classic black vinyl ($111.99), and a limited-edition neon vinyl 4LP edition ($124.99). Each is available to pre-order at the band’s official site.

Each will be available on May 13. But you can already listen to two tracks, “Rip This Joint” and “It’s Only Rock ’N’ Roll,” now. (They sound fantastic. Imagine being in that crowd? No, we can’t either.)

In total the album features 23 live renditions of iconic hits. That includes signature songs like “Brown Sugar” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Even those who have been swapping unofficial versions of these songs for decades will want to hear them in their full glory.

You can find the full tracklist for this new Rolling Stones album below.

1. Honky Tonk Women
2. All Down The Line
3. Hand Of Fate
4. Route 66
5. Fool To Cry
6. Crazy Mama
7. Mannish Boy
8. Crackin’ Up
9. Dance Little Sister
10. Around And Around
11. Tumbling Dice
12. Hot Stuff
13. Star Star
14. Let’s Spend The Night Together
15. Worried Life Blues
16. Little Red Rooster
17. It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)
18. Rip This Joint
19. Brown Sugar
20. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
21. Melody
22. Luxury
23. Worried About You (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)

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When you have a new movie coming out you do what you can to promote it. And with the Foo Fighters’ horror-comedy Studio 666 arriving in theaters this month the band’s frontman Dave Grohl finally—and fittingly—made the terrifying plunge into the fiery depths of Hot Ones’ Hell. Those spicy wings opened up more than his nasal cavities. In between shots the two-time Hall of Fame musician discussed the origins of his band’s new supernatural film. Grohl even shared how his love of UFOs inspired the Foo Fighters’ name.

Hot Ones host Sean Evans said that after Gordon Ramsey appeared on the First We Feast series Dave Grohl was the most requested guest. Grohl didn’t disappoint either. After teaching us all how to make Pantera’s pre-show cocktail, Grohl explained the origins of Studio 666. It started when he was demoing new music in a creepy old house. That unsettling home inspired the idea for Studio 666, which sees the band move into a haunted house to record an album. While there Grohl becomes possessed and starts attacking his fellow band members.

Only, a funny thing happened on the way to making a cheap, low-budget film. People started throwing real money at it. As a result, the band ended up making what Grohl says is a real “f***ing movie.” (No kidding! John Carpenter wrote the theme. And he also has a cameo!)

After getting deep into—or rather high up on—the Scoville scale, Grohl also explained how the name Foo Fighters came from his lifelong obsession with UFOs. He was a self-proclaimed UFO expert as a kid. Grohl’s love of UFos even led him to the term “Foo Fighters,” which he found in the book Above Top Secret.

We know we’re going to see plenty of demons in Studio 666. But maybe we’ll also see some aliens too. No matter who shows up to haunt the band, though, we recommend not mixing hot sauce with anything Pantera would drink. Not unless they also have a film to promote.

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Mondo has announced its newest Star Wars vinyl collection. The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Expanded Edition 4XLP (quite a mouthful!) has all of Giacchino’s music heard in the film. It also includes songs from Williams. But the big score for fans who can’t get enough of the galaxy far, far way’s music is 60 minutes of previously unreleased tracks written for Rogue One.

“This project was an almost five-week whirlwind of writing, recording, and mixing but I couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about the adventure and will always look back on those days with fond memories,” said Giacchino in a statement. “As with all the film scores I compose, my goal was to serve the story and the emotions of the film, but I think it was my 10-year-old brain who had the most fun composing for this new and exciting set of Star Wars characters and the worlds they inhabit.”

Each album comes pressed on 180 gram black vinyl. And there are also all-new liner notes from Giacchino. The music isn’t the only reason Rogue One fans will want to get their hands on a set, though. It also boasts original black-and-white artwork by John Powell. (The Vader one alone is worth the price.)

You can pre-order the 4-disc set ($75) from Mondo’s online shop now. And we know plenty of Star Wars fans will do just that. They won’t want this album absent from their own collection.

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Now, someone who no doubt grew up with the classic show is making their own contribution to the reboot. Thanks to Boing Boing, we’ve learned that Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters have covered “Fraggle Rock Rock,” a tune that originally appeared in the second episode of the original series. Which is now over forty years ago, believe it or not. You can check out both right versions right here, starting with the Foo Fighters’ cover above.

All the original Fraggles are back for this new iteration of the series, which always had great musical numbers. This means parents can introduce their kids to characters like Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, and Uncle Travelling Matt. Not to mention the Dozers, the Gorgs, and “the silly creatures from Outer Space.” (That’s us humans, by the way.) The 13-episode series follows the 2020 movie revival Fraggle Rock: Rock On!

The Foo Fighters are clearly huge fans of Henson’s world. Dave Grohl appeared in a guest-starring capacity as ‘Animool’ in 2011’s The Muppets. And then a few years later, he showed up on ABC’s The Muppets. There he rocked out to the Foo Fighters ’90s classic “Learn To Fly,” with the Muppets’ signature rock band, Electric Mayhem. Now, all we need is Dave jamming with Big Bird. We have a feeling that one’s not too far off.

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Marvin Lee Aday, better known as Meat Loaf in the pop-cultural world, has sadly passed away. As an actor and a singer, the performer was truly an icon. And he will remain immortalized through his songs and characters.

Among his many notable achievements, Meat Loaf’s album “Bat Out of Hell” sits as one of his greatest. The rock opera is so much more than a series of songs. And it has the numbers to show for it too. The album is one of the best selling of all time. According to an article by Deadline, approximately 14 million units were sold in the US. And worldwide the number may total nearly 30 million. An astounding amount that equals an astounding amount of fans. But when you combine a loose adaptation of Peter Pan and a post-apocalyptic New York City, what’s not to love?

Meat Loaf was also a staple of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In the film adaptation of the stage musical, he played Eddie. Eddie is kidnapped and eventually killed by Frank-N-Furter. But not before belting out the rock hit “Hot Patootie.” Over the years, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has become a beloved cult hit. No doubt fans will organize screenings in Meat Loaf’s honor. Continuing the tradition, Meat Loaf also played a role in another cult hit, Fight Club. There he played Robert Paulson, a member of Project Mayhem.

In a statement on his page, Meat Loaf’s family shares:

His amazing career spanned 6 decades that saw him sell over 100 Million albums worldwide and star in over 65 movies, including Fight Club, Focus, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Wayne’s World. “Bat Out of Hell” remains one of the top 10 selling albums of all time.

We know how much he meant to so many of you and we truly appreciate all of the love and support as we move through this time of grief in losing such an inspiring artist and beautiful man. We thank you for your understanding of our need for privacy at this time.

From his heart to your souls…don’t ever stop rocking!

We will miss Meat Loaf, but his creations will continue to inspire.

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Peter Jackson’s recent documentary The Beatles: Get Back struck an emotional chord with Beatles fans everywhere. It was an incredible gift to see the journey of the Fab Four as they set out to write 14 new songs against a ticking clock. Of course, the documentary’s most unforgettable sequence was The Beatles‘ last live performance. The Disney+ documentary featured the performance in its entirety for the first time ever. And now The Beatles’ iconic show will release in a bigger and better way than ever before. The Beatles and their famous rooftop concert are coming to IMAX.

The Beatles: Get Back–The Rooftop Concert will play on the IMAX screen for one night only. Fittingly, The Beatles played their concert on January 30, 1969. And they will arrive at IMAX theaters on January 30, 2022. 53 years later. A perfect birthday celebration for this famed event. The screening will also include a filmmaker Q&A with The Beatles: Get Back director Peter Jackson. 

Megan Colligan, president of IMAX Entertainment, shares,  “Ever since Peter Jackson’s beautiful and illuminating docuseries debuted, we’ve heard non-stop from fans who want to experience its unforgettable rooftop performance in IMAX. We are so excited to partner with Disney to bring ‘Get Back’ to an entirely new stage and give Beatles fans everywhere a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch and hear their heroes in the unrivaled sight and sound of IMAX.”

We can imagine this will be a truly moving, immersive experience. Almost like sitting on the rooftop with the band. Tickets are on sale now for the January 30th event.

For those who can’t make it to an IMAX screen, fear not. The rooftop concert will also receive a global theatrical engagement from February 11-13. The Beatles: Get Back will also release on Blu-ray and DVD in the U.S. on February 8. And, of course, The Beatles: Get Back streams now on Disney+.

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Musician Joe Porter has put together an entertaining short medley of some well-known video game tracks. His video (which we first saw at Laughing Squid) features him playing songs from Plants vs Zombies, Doom, Bad Piggies, Minecraft, and Pokémon. But that’s just half the fun. The other half comes from how he plays them. He performs each song on a different instrument as he makes his way around the room.

He starts with a flairdrum. A thing we totally knew about, including the name. But, uh, just in case you don’t know what that is it’s a collection of air pressurized plastic bottles. That’s followed by more traditional instruments. Including timpani drums, a steel pan, marimba, and a vibraphone.

The only real issue is that this video isn’t long enough to satiate our desire to hear video game songs played in unique ways. Fortunately he has lots of other videos for us to enjoy. Including a marimba medley of video game songs.

And since it is the holiday season, he used his collection of instruments to play a variety of Christmas songs on a variety of them.

A good song is a good song is a good song. Whether it’s a Christmas tune or a video game theme, we want to hear every version we can. And with a talented enough musician we’ll listen to it anyway they can play it.

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