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Post Malone seeks to dismiss lawsuit over “Circles”

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Post Malone didn’t mince words over his pending lawsuit over his 2019 hit, “Circles.” The suit was filed by Canadian musician Tyler Armes, who claims he’s owed songwriting credit.

According to Rolling Stone, Armes says he’s due partial ownership of the song because he contributed a guitar riff to it. The singer adds he was originally offered publishing royalties capped at five percent, but Posty’s team withdrew the offer when he tried negotiating for a higher number.

Now, Malone’s firing back. Through his lawyers, he responded that Armes contributed an “admittedly extremely commonplace guitar chord progression” and that a “fragment of guitar melody” he sang did not make it into the final piece.

Rolling Stone reports Malone further responds, “Armes does not have a shred of affirmative evidence with which to meet his burden of proof that his alleged contribution to the guitar melody is original. Armes admitted that his contributions did not even rise to the level of originality, which is also required in addition to the fixation requirement. He either conceded that his ideas were commonplace musical devices or failed to meet his burden to demonstrate any originality otherwise. Armes thus cannot even establish the threshold requirement that he made a copyrightable contribution.”

Posty seeks to have the lawsuit dismissed. A hearing has been set for April 4.

Holy update, Batman! ‘The Batman’ actually made $134 million over the weekend

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Holy update, Batman! ‘The Batman’ actually made 4 million over the weekend

As reported, The Batman was this weekend’s box office champ, but a recalculation of the numbers shows that the film made even more money than previously thought.

Variety reports that Robert Pattinson‘s first turn as the Dark Knight actually made $134 million in the U.S.; estimated numbers on Sunday had said that the Matt Reeves-directed movie had made $128.5 million.

The discrepancy was chalked up to a stronger-than-thought Sunday performance stateside. The movie made $34.1 million on the last day of the weekend, when ticket sales generally slow down. The Warner Bros. film has earned $258 million worldwide.

The Batman notched the best weekend performance of 2022, and it’s only the second film in the pandemic era to open to over $100 million in a weekend — the other being the more than $1.8 billion-grossing Spider-Man: No Way Home, which opened late last year.

Meanwhile, one of those fans who apparently checked out The Batman this weekend was none other than Taylor Swift.

Taylor took to her Instagram Stories over the weekend to praise the new film, and, in particular, Zoë Kravitz‘s portrayal of the iconic character, Catwoman. Certified cat-fan Taylor posted a photo of Kravitz onscreen, adding, “@zoeisabellakravitz IS THE CATWOMAN OF DREAMS,” Taylor captioned the post. “The Batman was PHENOMENAL!!”

Taylor and Zoë have apparently been friends for quite a while: There are photos of them out together in New York City in 2016.

Carly Pearce shares why she’ll “always cherish” ACM Awards co-host Dolly Parton

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

There’s many reasons for Carly Pearce to be excited about the ACM Awards, but perhaps the biggest one is that her idol, Dolly Parton, is co-hosting.

As a teenager, Carly and her family moved from their native Kentucky to Pigeon Forge, TN, where she became a performer at Dollywood, an experience that trained the “Every Little Thing” singer for her future success.

“Dolly Parton has always been a huge inspiration in my life ever since I was a little girl,” Carly tells Hello! magazine. “She has taught me so much over the years from her kindness and the way she treats others, to her incredible songwriting and her ability to speak from the heart in all of her songs. Her impact on myself and country music as a whole is something I’ll always cherish.”

The country legend is co-hosting the 57th annual ceremony with Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett, where Carly is nominated for four of the night’s awards: Album of the Year for 29: Written in Stone, Female Artist of the Year, Music Event of the Year and Video of the Year, the latter two for her duet with Ashley McBryde on “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.”

Carly and Ashley will perform the track when the ACM Awards air live from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas tonight at 8 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video.

ZZ Top to release new album, ‘Raw,’ in July, dedicated “in righteous memory” of late bassist Dusty Hill

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

ZZ Top has will release a new album called Raw on July 22 that was recorded in conjunction with the famed blues-rock trio’s 2019 documentary, That Little Ol’ Band from Texas.

That film included a segment where ZZ Top’s classic lineup — singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard — played an intimate set of songs from their back catalog at historic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas, and that “raw” performance served as the basis for the album.

The 12-track collection boasts versions of such classic ZZ Top hits as “Legs,” “Tush,” “La Grange” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” and other gems like “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide” and “Tube Snake Boogie,” as well as renditions of “Brown Sugar” and “Certified Blues,” two tunes from the band’s 1971 debut, ZZ Top’s First Album.

Raw, which was produced by Gibbons, is dedicated “in righteous memory” of Hill, who died in July 2021 at age 72. The record will be available as a 180-gram vinyl LP, on CD and via digital formats.

In liner notes for Raw, Gibbons and Beard write jointly about the album, “[I]t was, in a very real way, a return to our roots. Just us and the music, no audience of thousands, no concession stands, no parking lot social hour, no phalanx of tour buses. Just us and the music.”

They add, “‘The Dust’ may have left the building but he’s still very much with us.”

In other news, ZZ Top will launch a new U.S. trek on May 27 in San Diego. Dubbed the Raw Whisky Tour, the outing is mapped out through a July 23 concert in Watertown, New York. Tickets for most dates go on sale on March 11.

Here’s full Raw track list:

Side 1
“Brown Sugar”
“Just Got Paid”
“Heard It on the X”
“La Grange”
“Tush”
“Thunderbird”

Side 2
“I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”
“Gimme All Your Lovin'”
“Blue Jean Blues”
“Certified Blues”
“Tube Snake Boogie”

The Prodigy announces first tour since death of Keith Flint

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The Prodigy will be returning to the road this summer for their first tour since the death of vocalist Keith Flint in 2019.

The U.K. outing launches in July, will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of the group’s 1997 multi-platinum album The Fat of the Land, which spawned the single “Firestarter.”

“We can’t wait to get back onstage and play our tunes for the people again,” remaining members Liam Howlett and Maxim say in a statement. “The 25th anniversary of Fat of the Land felt like the right time for us to step up. We’ll be droppin’ tunes from all our albums and maybe some s*** [you] haven’t heard before.”

The pair adds, “This one’s for Flinty.”

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit TheProdigy.com.

The Prodigy played their last show in February 2019, about a month before Flint’s death. In August 2019, the band announced they were working on new music.

Benedict Cumberbatch responds to Sam Elliott’s flaming of ‘The Power of the Dog’

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NOTE LANGUAGE) As reported last week, Western movie veteran Sam Elliott isn’t a fan of Jane Campion‘s 12-time Oscar-nominated The Power of the Dog. In fact, he called it a “piece of sh**.”

Elliott was speaking with on Marc Maron‘s WTF Podcast when he voiced his dislike for the movie, commenting the ranch hands were made out to be Chippendale’s dancers. He also appeared to resent the movie’s “allusions to homosexuality.”

“It just f**king rubbed me the wrong way, pal,” the veteran actor said of the film.

One of the movie’s nominated leads, Benedict Cumberbatch, plays Phil Burbank, a character who was a gruff cowboy on the surface, but clearly had repressed his homosexuality. In an interview that was part of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts series Film Sessions, Cumberbatch didn’t name Elliott, but called it an “odd reaction,” adding, “I’m trying very hard not to say anything about [it].”

The actor explained, “These people still exist in our world. Whether it’s on our doorstep or…someone we meet in a bar or pub or on the sports field, there is aggression and anger and frustration and an inability to control or know who you are in that moment that causes damage to that person and, as we know, damage to those around them.”

He added, “There’s no harm in looking at a character to get to the root causes of that. This is a very specific case of repression, but also due to an intolerance for that true identity that Phil is that he can’t fully be.”

Cumberbatch noted, “The more we look under the hood of toxic masculinity and try to discover the root causes of it, the bigger chances we have of dealing with it when it arises with our children.”

Sam Smith and Normani slapped with lawsuit over “Dancing with a Stranger”

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Sam Smith is the latest artist to be hit with a major lawsuit over alleged idea theft. He and his “Dancing With a Stranger” collaborator, Normani, have been accused of plagiarizing their 2019 hit.

Billboard reports that songwriters Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda and Rosco Banlaoi filed suit against Sam and Normani on Friday, claiming the duo stole their 2015 song, “Dancing with Strangers.”

“The hook/chorus in both songs — the most significant part and artistic aspect of these works — contains the lyrics ‘dancing with a stranger’ being sung over a nearly identical melody and musical composition,” the lawsuit states. “In both songs, the title, hook, chorus, lyrics, and musical composition are all the same — and are repeated throughout the song giving both songs their identities.”

The 2015 song had allegedly been shopped to other labels before it was ultimately released on SoundCloud a year later, then debuted on Spotify and YouTube in 2017. The songwriters claim it was “immediately obvious” that Sam and Normani swiped their song upon hearing it in 2019.

“It is beyond any real doubt that Smith, Normani, and the other defendants copied Plaintiff’s work,” the suit declares. “The protected expression in both the Infringing Song and Plaintiff’s preexisting work is nearly identical and is strikingly similar.”

The trio also claim Sam and Normani stole elements of their music video for their own, saying it bears “extraordinary similarities” to their earlier work.

Vincent, Miranda and Banlaoi are seeking unspecified monetary damages as well as “declarations of authorship and ownership,” among other demands. They have requested a jury trial.

NHL reveals new Stanley Cup logo design

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

NHL

(NEW YORK) — For the first time in 13 years, the NHL has redesigned its Stanley Cup logo as it looks ahead to the “next era.”

The new branding was unveiled on Monday and took more than two years to create.

“We’re ready for the next era,” Greg Mueller, NHL senior design director, creative services, said in a statement. “Not a new era, the next one.”

Mueller worked on the new logo system along with Paul Conway, group VP, NHL creative, and NHL senior digital designer Louis Gentile.

And while the logo is new, it pays homage to the league’s history.

The font used on the word “Playoffs,” Windsor Sands, was inspired by the Windsor Hotel in Montreal, where the NHL was founded back in 1917. The Victoria SC Serif font used on the words “Stanley Cup,” meanwhile, was inspired by the engravings found on the bowl and collar of the Stanley Cup.

The new logo also features etchings on the championship trophy.

“We had a wealth of resources to pull inspiration from,” Conway said in a statement. “The etchings add another level of photorealism to the look and feel of the illustration.”

Fans can check out a new microsite launched by the NHL that details all the changes made to the logo.

Hundreds of migrants arrive on boat in Florida Keys

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — At least 356 Haitian migrants traveled by boat on a dangerous trek to the coast of the Ocean Reef community in Key Largo, Florida, on March 6, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

CBP took custody of 158 people who swam to the shore from the vessel, according to Alan Regalado, the public affairs specialist for CBP in Florida. The 198 people who stayed on the boat were stopped and transferred to U.S. Coast Guard boats.

“It’s [a] really, really dangerous [trek], especially because of the conditions — I mean, over 300 people in one vessel? I mean, they’re just not equipped for that trip,” Regalado told ABC News.

He added, “Not only that, but the smuggling organizations and everything that migrants have to go through in the process — it’s just not a safe thing to do.”

CBP, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other local and state agencies responded to the incoming vessel.

“Multiple agencies responded quickly & worked closely to protect a lot of lives today,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jason Neiman, with Coast Guard District Seven, in a tweet.

According to CBP, the processing of such migrants who made it onto U.S. soil after their voyage depends on their claims and background.

However, those 158 migrants may be subject to Title 42, which is a clause of the 1944 Public Health Services law that allows the government to expel migrants without giving them a chance to apply for asylum during a public health emergency.

Many Haitian refugees have left their countries due to the devastating impacts of natural disasters and political instability that have also resulted in economic struggles for the country.

Phoebe Bridgers announces US headlining tour

March 7, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Phoebe Bridgers has announced a U.S. headlining tour.

The long-winding trek launches April 13 in Phoenix, and will run all the way through late August. Tickets will go on sale this Thursday, March 10, at noon local time through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform. Registration is open now through Tuesday, March 8, at noon ET.

Bridgers will be touring in continued support of her 2020 album, Punisher, which features the Grammy-nominated single “Kyoto.”

Along with the headlining dates, Bridgers will play a number of festivals this year, including Coachella, Forecastle and This Ain’t No Picnic.

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