Rise Against has announced a new graphic novel based on the band’s new album, Nowhere Generation.
The book, also titled Nowhere Generation, is characterized as a “glimpse into the lives of the abandoned, a collection of down and out individuals coming together for a revolution.”
“These are the stories of the ones who fight back,” the description reads.
Nowhere Generation is due out October 12. It’ll be published by Z2 Comics, which has worked with lots of musicians, including Machine Gun Kelly, Beartooth, Anthrax, Alter Bridge, All Time Low and Yungblud.
Rise Against released Nowhere Generation the album in June. They’ll launch a U.S. tour in support of the record July 30 in New York City.
Earlier this month, over the Independence Day weekend, Matt Stell made his first trip overseas to perform for U.S. service members. The rising star gave several live shows at Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi in the Persian Gulf.
Matt’s set list included his back-to-back number-one hits, his 2019 debut “Prayed for You” and hit follow-up, “Everywhere but On.” Both songs come off the singer’s debut EP, which is also titled Everywhere but On.
He also performed his current single, “That Ain’t Me No More,” which broke country radio’s top 40 last month.
Before his breakout country success, Matt spent time pursuing other career dreams: He played college basketball at Drury University, and nearly pursued a pre-med program after being accepted to Harvard University. Still, getting the chance to perform overseas for military members was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the singer says.
“This doesn’t happen to me often, but I really can’t find the words to express what this trip has meant to me,” Matt admits. “I am so thankful for the opportunity and I will never forget the experience.”
Carlos Santana has lent his guitar talents to “She’s Fire,” a track from acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren‘s forthcoming debut studio album, Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1.
The song, which features vocals by hitmaking rapper G-Eazy, is available now as a digital download and via streaming services. In addition, a lyric video for the tune has been posted at Warren’s official YouTube channel.
“It is an honor to co-join with Diane Warren and G-Eazy on ‘She’s Fire,'” Santana says in a statement. “Diane has an incredible gift, vision-awareness-ability to paint a picture to transport the listener to a place of emotion and passion. Her lyrics and arrangements are a part of the world’s musical tapestry and should be forever cherished.”
Adds Warren, “I’m so excited for everyone to hear ‘She’s Fire!!’ To be able to work with Carlos Santana has always been a dream of mine…I expected [the song] to be great, and it turned out even better than I imagined, pure fire.”
As previously reported, The Cave Sessions Vol. 1 is due out this year, and also features guest appearances by Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Hootie & the Blowfish‘s Darius Rucker, John Legend and many others.
Warren released another advance track in November 2020 called “Times Like These” that features vocals by Rucker.
Diane’s long list of credits and achievements include nine number-one hits and 32 top-10 singles. Among the hits she’s composed are Aerosmith‘s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” Starship‘s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” Cher‘s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” Toni Braxton‘s “Unbreak My Heart,” and LeAnn Rimes‘ “How Do I Live.”
Santana recently told ABC Audio that Warren has written two songs that will appear on his band’s next album, Blessing and Miracles.
(NEW YORK) — An alleged sexual assault victim who says she was held against her will for months was rescued after she left notes in public restrooms pleading for help, according to authorities.
In one note she wrote, “If I don’t make it tell my family I love them,” according to a criminal complaint.
Police say the first cry for help was found Thursday, stuck to a mirror in the women’s bathroom of a Walmart in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh.
The note was from a woman who said she had been sexually and physically assaulted, and was being held against her will, by 38-year-old Corey Brewer, who was armed with a knife, according to the complaint. The note also gave an address where she was being held and a description of a car, and begged the reader to call 911.
The alleged victim’s ex told police she and Brewer were in a relationship and that she filed a protection from abuse order against Brewer in August 2020, they said. The order expired one month later.
Police went to the address written on the note. Though no one answered the door, according to the complaint, officers said they could hear furniture being moved around inside.
Officers called Brewer’s number and asked to speak to the victim privately, but Brewer allegedly told the officers he wouldn’t take her off speaker phone, the complaint said. In the speaker phone conversation, Brewer told the officers the two were on vacation in New York, and the victim told police she was with her boyfriend.
Two days later, on Saturday, a second note signed by the same victim was found stuck to a mirror in a women’s restroom at the Fallingwater museum and landmark in western Pennsylvania, the complaint said. Police say video surveillance from Fallingwater showed Brewer and the alleged victim there.
The note said she’d been held since May 1 and was not on vacation, and again pleaded with the reader to call 911, the complaint said. The note said “she heard the police knocking at the residence, that the abuse hasn’t stopped, and please don’t give up.”
Police executed a search warrant early Sunday, rescuing the alleged victim and taking Brewer into custody, the complaint said. The woman told police Brewer confiscated her phone and she wasn’t able to escape.
She said Brewer sexually assaulted her, and that he also punched and strangled her numerous times, the complaint said. She claimed Brewer also threatened to kill her and her children if she tried to leave.
The woman also alleged Brewer took nude photos of her against her will and used a knife to cut her foot, according to the complaint.
Brewer was charged with sexual assault, strangulation and unlawful restraint. He did not have an attorney as of Tuesday afternoon and is due in court for a preliminary hearing on July 22.
(TAMPA BAY, Fla.) — Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov played the Stanley Cup Final with a broken rib, according to general manager Julien BriseBois.
Kucherov sustained a non-displaced rib fracture after a cross-check against the New York Islanders in the semi-final round, according to BriseBois.
“He played with a flak jacket from that point on and also had a nerve block injection the day before every game,” said BriseBois. “It makes his performance during these playoffs both before the injury and post broken rib all the more impressive.”
Kucherov led the playoffs with 32 points on eight goals and 24 assists.
The star wasn’t the only player dealing with an injury during the playoffs. Defenseman Victor Hedman played with a torn meniscus while forward Barclay Goodrow and defenseman Ryan McDonough played with broken hands, according to the GM.
Forward Alex Killorn broke his leg blocking a shot in game 1 of the final before have a rod put in his leg a few days later. Two days after the surgery he was already back skating with the hope of playing.
“That’s how you win a Stanley Cup,” said a choked-up BriseBois. “All the competing through injury, it was outstanding and so inspiring to watch on a game-in, game-out basis.”
Tampa Bay won its second straight Stanley Cup Final beating Montreal 4-1.
Demi Lovato is giving others some grace when it comes to learning their new pronouns.
In a message posted to Instagram, Demi writes, “If you misgender me, that’s okay. I accidentally misgender myself sometimes! It’s a huge transition to change the pronouns I’ve used for myself my entire life. And it’s difficult to remember sometimes!”
They continue, “As long as you keep trying to respect my truth, and as long as I remember my truth, the shift will come naturally. I’m just grateful for your effort in trying to remember what means so much to my healing process.”
Demi explains in the caption that they felt the need to post this message “because I often find that the change in pronouns can be confusing for some, and difficult to remember for others.”
The singer says “it’s all about your intention,” adding, “It’s important to me that you try, but if you make a mistake, it’s okay.”
This week marks Non-Binary Awareness Week. Demi came out as non-binary, changing their pronouns to they/them, in May.
St. Vincent has announced a streaming concert special, set to premiere August 4.
The virtual show, titled Down and Out Downtown, will feature the live debuts of songs off St. Vincent’s new album, Daddy’s Home, as well as “new arrangements of hits and deep cuts.”
A trailer for the special includes snippets of Daddy’s Home songs, as well as renditions of older tunes including “Los Ageless” and “Cheerleader” reworked with St. Vincent’s new backing band. You can watch that streaming now on YouTube.
Down and Out Downtown will stream via the platform Moment House. For ticket info, visit MomentHouse.com/StVincent.
Daddy’s Home, the sixth St. Vincent album, was released in May. It includes the lead single “Pay Your Way in Pain.”
In Flames is no longer taking part in the Metal Tour of the Year.
On Tuesday, the Swedish metallers announced that they’re dropping off the stacked bill, which also includes Megadeth, Lamb of God and Trivium, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were looking forward to playing for you all and this was an unbelievably hard choice to make,” a statement from the band reads. “Thank you for understanding and your support as we all get through this unprecedented time.”
“We have a lot of things in the works for 2022 — more on that shortly,” they add. “Stay safe and we’ll see you on the road again soon!”
In place of In Flames, Hatebreed has now joined the lineup.
The Metal Tour of the Year, which was previously scheduled to launch in 2020, will kick off August 20 in Austin.
(WASHINGTON) — Texas Democrats spent Tuesday in Washington pressuring Congress to pass federal voting rights legislation and calling for an exception to the Senate’s filibuster rule blocking Democrats from moving forward with a measure they say would stop GOP-led efforts to restrict voting in Texas and nationwide.
The state lawmakers were expected to meet with a key Democrat who has resisted changing the filibuster rule requiring 60 votes to advance legislation — West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. He and Arizona Democrat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema are playing a pivotal role in the ongoing congressional negotiations over a national voting rights bill.
It is unclear if the Texas Democrats will hold meetings with Sinema. If both she and Manchin were to agree to an exception to the rule — Senate Democrats with their 50 votes, along with Vice President Kamala Harris — could pass the bill congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden have made a top priority.
Biden was making his case in a high-profile speech in Philadelphia Tuesday afternoon.
“If you can have a carve-out for a right-wing Supreme Court justice, why can’t you have a carve-out to protect the very fundamentals of our democracy?” State Rep. Chris Turner said at a Capitol Hill news conference, referring to making an exception to the filibuster for voting rights.
“If Mitch McConnell did a carve-out for Amy Coney Barrett, then we ought to do a carve-out for the black and brown people that live in Texas, Georgia, Florida, that live in all these states trying to make it harder for our constituents to exercise their right to vote,” State Rep. Marc Veasey added. “Time is of the essence. We cannot wait. States are going to start to ramp up these efforts.”
More than 50 Texas House Democrats fled the state Monday evening, depriving the state legislature of a quorum, and must now remain out of Texas for the duration of the ongoing special legislative session, which ends on August 6.
In their absence from the Austin state capitol on Tuesday, a majority of Republican House lawmakers passed a procedural measure that allows authorities to go out and find the absent Democrat House members.
Texas law authorities may even utilize arrest warrants in their efforts to compel the lawmakers back, if such action is deemed necessary. However, it remains unclear whether this order can affect the Democrats while they are out of state and outside of the jurisdiction of Texas law enforcement.
The state legislators pointed to the spread of what they called former President Donald Trump’s ‘big lie’ that falsely asserts his claim of winning the 2020 election as a partial catalyst for their decision to leave their home state.
“We are not going to buckle to the ‘big lie’ in the state of Texas — the ‘big lie’ that has resulted in anti-democratic legislation throughout the United States,” Mexican American Legislative Caucus Chair Rafael Anchía said.
Texas House Dean Senfronia Thompson further echoed Anchia’s comments and put a spotlight on the impact revisions to voting access in her state would have on people of color.
“I’m not here to take a vacation in Washington, D.C. When I looked at the African American Museum, I thought about the struggle my people fought in this country to get the right to vote. And that right is sacred to my constituents that I represent in Houston, Texas, and I’m up here because I don’t plan to be a sitting person in that legislature,” Thompson said.
Seventeen states had enacted 28 new laws that restrict access to the vote, as of June 21, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. The latest versions of Republican-backed legislation aimed at revising Texas voting and election laws included several provisions that voting rights advocates say would detrimentally affect the abilities of people of color to vote.
Among them are provisions that appear to be aimed at practices utilized by Democrat-leaning Harris County during the 2020 election. Both bills ban 24-hour voting availability, which offered greater ballot access to Houston-area shift workers when implemented in the fall. Each of the proposals coming from the Republican majorities in the Texas House and Senate also aim to end drive-thru voting, another popular voting method in the diverse county.
Additionally, the dual bills included provisions that granted expanded access to partisan poll watchers, which voting rights advocates decried for potentially opening the door to in-person voter intimidation.
On Monday, Texas Democrats did not indicate specific plans for what they aim to do after the special session ends. They also did not directly offer insight into whether they intend to continue breaking quorum going forward, given that GOP Gov. Abbott has the power to call for as many special legislative sessions as he wants.
“We know that’s exactly what he’s going to do, we went in his eyes wide open,” Texas House Democratic Chair Turner told reporters.
“Our intent is to stay out and kill this bill this session, and use the intervening time — I think 24 or 25 days now — before the other session to implore the folks in this building behind us to pass federal voting rights legislation to protect voters in Texas and across the country,” he added.
Vice President Harris will meet sometime this week with the Texas legislators, according to an official in Harris’ office.
One day before the next court hearing on Britney Spears‘ conservatorship, the headline-making documentary about her has received two Emmy nominations.
Framing Britney Spears, produced by The New York Times for FX and Hulu, has been nominated for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program.
The doc, which first aired in February, focused on how the media, especially the tabloids and the paparazzi, framed Britney in a negative, often misogynistic light, while allowing the men in her orbit, like her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, to emerge unscathed from the spotlight’s blinding glare.
The documentary also examined the #FreeBritney movement and focused new attention on her conservatorship, which has been in place since 2008. Britney is now trying to have her father Jamie Spears removed from his role as conservator of her estate, and has also asked for the conservatorship itself to be terminated.
Britney and those involved with the conservatorship, which the singer has deemed “abusive,” are expected to appear in court Wednesday for the next step in what appears to be shaping up to be lengthy process.
