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Nita Strauss leaves Alice Cooper’s band ahead of fall tour: “I am forever thankful”

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Nita Strauss is leaving Alice Cooper‘s band.

In a “bittersweet” Instagram post, the guitarist reveals she “will not be joining the Alice Cooper band for the upcoming fall tour” and adds that she’s also canceling her upcoming scheduled solo tour dates.

Strauss didn’t reveal the exact reason for her departure, but she does rule out one explanation in particular.

“I AM NOT PREGNANT!!!” Strauss writes in all caps.

“There is no drama whatsoever and my touring year is still VERY full,” she adds. “In fact, I’m on a flight straight into the next adventure as I post this, and I’ll be on stage again much sooner than you think! But that’s news for another day.”

Strauss first joined Cooper’s band in 2014 and calls her eight years with the group “the experience of a lifetime.” She also thanks Alice and his wife, Sheryl Cooper, as well as his manager, Shep Gordon, and all of the Cooper bandmates, fans and crew.

“I don’t know what the future will hold after this, but I am forever thankful,” Strauss writes.

Outside of her work in Cooper’s band, Strauss released her debut solo album, the instrumental Controlled Chaos, in 2018. Her 2021 solo single “Dead Inside,” which features Disturbed‘s David Draiman, became the first song by a solo female artist to hit #1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in 32 years.

Eminem announces new greatest hits collection expected next month

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Following the release of his latest Snoop Dogg-assisted single, “From the D 2 the LBC,” rap icon Eminem has announced his upcoming greatest hits collection, titled Curtain Call 2.

Set for release Aug. 5, the new compilation follows the original 2005 Curtain Call: The Hits. It will include music from all Eminem projects since 2009’s Relapse, including guest appearances, film soundtrack songs, and selections from his solo albums and side projects.

“From the D 2 the LBC,” which made its debut last month at Ape Fest, serves as the collection’s first single. The recent Eminem-CeeLo Green track, “The King and I,” will also appear on the new project.

In addition to the two previously released tracks, Curtain Call 2 will see another unreleased song, to be revealed soon.

Curtain Call 2 will see a standard release via Shady Records/Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records, as well as a limited edition box set available via Eminem’s official website.

Earlier this year, Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after his first year of eligibility. The Detroit native has a total of 15 Grammy Awards and is one of the best selling artists of the 2000s, according to Billboard.

“Life’s pretty daggum good”: Russell Dickerson shares family photo from the road

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Russell Dickerson is getting real about life on the road.

Russell has spent the past six months on tour with Tim McGraw and admits that road life can be grueling at times. But the main factor keeping him grounded is his family, as evidenced by a sweet photo he shared of him with his wife, Kailey, and their infant son, Remington.

“Feel like we’ve been running 300 miles an hour for 6 months straight. I love what we do but it’s taxing too. But lookin at moments like this, on the road, with my 2 humans, life’s pretty daggum good,” Russell writes alongside an adorable photo of him and Kailey, all smiles as the singer holds his 1-year-old son upside down, Remington laughing all the while.

“I don’t think a picture has ever brought me so much joy,” one fan praises, while others call them “the most beautiful family” and “precious people.”

Russell has been sharing many photos and videos from his high-energy opening set on The McGraw Tour, which launched in February and continues through the end of this month. Russell’s collaboration with Jake Scott on “She Likes It” is also climbing up the charts.

Want to join Maren Morris’ “book club”? Just head over to her social media

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Maren Morris is enjoying a little downtime this week, and she’s spending her well-deserved off days taking in a good book.

The singer hopped on social media to ask fans to join her, suggesting that they start an unofficial “book club.”

“I’m an avid reader 4 times a year,” she wrote, alongside a snapshot of herself reading outdoors in a bikini. “I just demolished Parable of the Sower in two sittings and am now on the sequel. What are y’all reading?”

Fans flooded the comments section with questions and book recommendations; One Twitter user suggested that Maren should check out The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, a work of historical fiction by Taylor Jenkins Reid. “Ooh adding!” Maren replied.

Another asked Maren for her suggestions — and the singer recommended Nicole LePera’s How to Do the Work as well as the sci-fi read featured in her original post — while one fan brought up a book that actually features Maren’s story as part of its subject matter.

That’s Her Country by Marissa Moss chronicles the careers of Maren as well as Kacey Musgraves and Mickey Guyton.

“It’s amazing and I’m honored to be included,” Maren replied when asked for her thoughts on that book.

When she’s not taking in a good book, Maren’s on the road for her Humble Quest Tour, which continues through October and will conclude with a hometown Nashville show on December 2.

Thom Yorke teases more The Smile music

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Thom Yorke is giving us something more to Smile about.

The Radiohead frontman is teasing more music with his The Smile side project, which also includes Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner.

In a tweet alongside video of The Smile playing a new song called “Colours Fly” at Spain’s Primavera Sound festival earlier this month, Yorke writes, “New one…work in progress…there are a few..”

Despite Yorke’s cryptic ellipses, it sure seems likely that new Smile music is in the works.

The Smile released their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention, in May. They’ll launch their first North American tour in November.

The most recent Radiohead album is 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool.

Ex-Journey frontman Steve Augeri releases new single, “Bated Breath,” from upcoming solo album

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Former Journey singer Steve Augeri has released a new single titled “Bated Breath,” a track from his forthcoming solo album, Seven Ways ‘Til Sunday.

The heartfelt ballad is available now via digital platforms, while a lyric video for the song has premiered on Augeri’s official YouTube channel.

Augeri, who sang with Journey from 1998 to 2006, co-wrote the music for “Bated Breath” with Craig Pullman and Adam Holland, while the lyrics were co-written with Susan Piazza.

“[W]e knew we were onto something very special because the goal for me was to have the lyrics match or surpass what I felt we had achieved musically,” Steve says about the writing of “Bated Breath.” “Dare I say it, but Susan added the ‘woman’s touch’ and another important perspective to the narrative elevating the song to a whole ‘nother level that would have been unattainable without her input.”

He adds, “I had those all important goosebumps because in my experience writing with the likes of [Journey’s] Jon Cain and Neal Schon, that any less than our very best was no longer good enough. You had to reach for the Moon.”

Seven Ways ‘Til Sunday is due out later this summer. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Augeri said of the record, “I put together an album that I’m super psyched about. More than anything ever, I feel like I’ve found my voice. I don’t think I’ll get the comparisons to Steve Perry. As wonderful a compliment as that is, I feel like I finally found something that sounds like me both writing-wise and performance-wise.”

“Bated Breath” is the second advance track that’s been released from Seven Ways ‘Til Sunday following “If You Want,” which arrived in February.

Meanwhile, check out Steve’s tour schedule at SteveAugeri.com.

You’re related to WHO? Kevin & Frankie Jonas host ABC’s new game show ‘Claim to Fame’

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

On a new ABC game show airing Monday night, 12 people who are related to celebrities will compete to cash in on the fact that they’ve got a famous family member. Called Claim to Fame, the show — co-hosted by Jonas Brothers member Kevin Jonas and his little brother Frankie Jonas — boasts a $100,000 prize.

“We have 12 contestants living in a house together that are all related to a famous relative, but they don’t know who is related to who. And so the idea is you’ve got to maintain your secret identity for as long as you can,” Kevin explains to ABC Audio. “So [there are] a lot of twists and turns, a lot of figuring out who’s related to people by the games we play with them and, y’know, giving away any information as it comes along.”

“There’s a lot of strategy involved, but it’s also just really fun,” Kevin adds. However, he thinks the contestants didn’t realize quite how cutthroat the competition would be.

“[They] went into this thing going, ‘Y’know, I’m going to meet a lot of people that have similar circumstances as me!'” he laughs. “So they thought they were making a lot of friends … and I’m not sure everyone stayed friends the whole time!”

Kevin says he and Frankie were “kept in the dark about who was related to who” so they could play along. As a result, Kevin says, “The reaction … from us [when we start] understanding who’s related to who is very genuine.”

“But then off set, we’re having pools as to see whose guesses are correct,” Frankie laughs. “And surprisingly, pretty much consistently, we were both massively incorrect!”

Claim to Fame debuts Monday, July 11, at 10:01 p.m. ET on ABC.

Hulu rings up another season of ‘Only Murders in the Building’

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Ahead of Tuesday’s Emmy nominations announcement — where it’s thought the show will represent in a big way — Hulu has ordered a third season of the beloved comedy Only Murders in the Building.

It’s something of a no-brainer for the streaming service: Both seasons of the 20th Television series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are Certified 100% Fresh on the ratings aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

In the announcement, Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, called Only Murders “the true crown jewel of our slate.”

He hailed, “Its appeal across generations, the intersection of humor and heart, and its truly original approach,” as well as its cast.

“We are grateful to be able to continue telling the stories of Charles, Oliver and Mabel to viewers that have consistently shown us they crave more of this story,” Erwich says of the performers’ respective characters.

Questlove, Tyler Perry and more to appear at Martha Vineyard African American Film Fest

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The 20th annual Martha Vineyard African American Film Fest — an Oscar-qualifying film festival in the short film category — kicks off this year with the award-winning Netflix documentary Descendants, executive produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of The Roots and others.

In partnership with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama‘s Higher Ground, Descendants focuses on the residents of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.

In its 20th season, the festival celebrates Black excellence in film and will also feature talent Tyler Perry, Spike Lee, Michael Ealy, the cast of Peacock’s The Best Man: The Final Chapters and many more.

“Each year we are beyond thrilled to have support from industry partners with content from and a dedication to creators of color,” MVAAFF producers and founders Floyd and Stephanie Rance said, according to Variety. “It is our mission to amplify these storytellers in a meaningful and safeguarded way. We have done this for 20 years and will continue to do so.”

The Martha Vineyard African American Film Festival runs from August 5-13 at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center in Oak Bluffs, MA.

From Batman to bad man: Chris Hemsworth says Christian Bale’s ‘Love and Thunder’ baddie is MCU’s best

July 11, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NOTE LANGUAGE) Thor: Love and Thunder had the third-biggest opening of the pandemic era, raking in $153 million Stateside and more than $302 million overseas over the weekend.

For Chris Hemsworth, who, in a Marvel, became the first hero to have four stand-alone movies — some of that success comes back to Christian Bale and his aptly named villain Gorr The God Butcher.

Gorr’s deity killing spree eventually puts him toe-to-toe with Hemsworth’s hero.

“He’s my favorite villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Hemsworth insisted at a recent press event.

“There’s this empathetic quality there…You kind of find yourself going, “Ahh…what he’s doing is wrong. But I get the sort of, the motivation behind it.'”

For his part, Bale — who, of course, played Batman in Chris Nolan‘s Dark Knight trilogy — gave credit for his performance to a trio of makeup artists who had him in the chair four hours every morning.

“[Y]ou don’t really know exactly what you’re doing with a character like that until you see it completely, it’s in your imagination…This was a pious man with tattoos and he’s cut those off. And so we have all of those scars. And that’s when you really get to start playing with it and experiment…,” he said.

Bale self-deprecatingly offered a reason why he was hired, and it had to do with Hemsworth’s…assets, which are on display in the film.

“I think in Gorr, they look for an actor, polar opposites [from Hemsworth]: Someone not relatable, a bit of a loner, creepy. Someone no one wants to be around and nobody wants to see his a**,” he said. “And so I think they went, ‘Yeah, we found that in Bale.'”

Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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