jxdn has released a cover of Blink-182‘s “Happy Holidays, You Bastard.”
The rising rocker stays faithful to both the sound and attitude of the pop-punk trio’s original, famously profane tune, which sticks so many swear words into 43 seconds that the clean version is just an instrumental except for the final line.
“‘Happy Holidays You Bastard’ is one of the best Christmas songs of all time,” jxdn says. “It’s funny as hell and exactly the carefree attitude we should all have.”
You can listen to jxdn’s “Happy Holidays” cover now exclusively via the Spotify Singles Holiday Collection, which also features contributions from Spoon and MisterWives.
jxdn released his debut album, Tell Me About Tomorrow, this past summer on Blink drummer Travis Barker‘s DTA Records label. It includes the Machine Gun Kelly collaboration, “Wanna Be.”
Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner has shared a new, encouraging update on his health after undergoing emergency heart surgery last month.
In an Instagram post, Faulkner writes that he’s “feeling very strong and positive,” and can “definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
“I’m pretty active and I’m starting cardiac therapy very soon,” Faulkner shares. “I’m playing guitar everyday and with the love and support of my family, the continued support from you guys and the inspiration that i get from the guitar, I’ll be back on stage in no time!”
The post also includes an animated video soundtracked to Faulkner’s shredding.
Faulkner was performing with Priest at the Louder than Life festival in October when he suffered an aortic aneurysm. He was immediately rushed to the hospital and underwent over 10 hours of open heart surgery. Priest, meanwhile, postponed the remainder of their 2021 tour dates.
When the metal legends do return to the road once Faulkner is fully recovered, don’t be surprised if you see a few of his doctors in the crowd.
“My surgeons are very pleased with my progress and have all reserved front row tickets for the next Priest show,” Faulkner writes.
Kelsea Ballerini says these days, she mostly feels healthy and self-confident, and is able to brush off comments or criticism about her appearance.
But it’s been a journey to get here, the singer admits. In fact, in a revealing new interview with People, Kelsea shares that she experienced a bout with bulimia as a teenager, which was triggered in part by some upheaval she was facing in her home life.
“My parents had just gotten divorced, and I think for me, it was a source of control,” the singer reflects, explaining that she also took diet pills and worked out excessively during this time.
That time period of her life is one that Kelsea dives into in more detail in her new book of poetry, Feel Your Way Through. In addition to her complicated past with body image, she also explores themes of relationships, family dynamics and more in the collection.
As for her current relationship with self-love and body positivity? “It’s a journey, and it’s never-ending,” Kelsea says. However, for the most part, she feels like she’s in a “much healthier spot” after years of working to overcome her body confidence struggles.
Lady Gaga‘s acting career is taking off, but she revealed in a new interview that it wasn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, the Oscar winner recalled a rather humiliating experience when auditioning for a LensCrafters commercial back in the day.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Gaga opened up about her Achilles heel that would flare up whenever she tried landing a role.
“I was terrible at auditioning. I was so bad. I could never get a role. I used to just freeze,” the House of Gucci star admitted. “I would stand there and go, ‘Oh my God. Ah! You’ve got to do this perfect. I’m not making my dad proud.'”
Those nerves got the better of her when auditioning at a LensCrafters commercial callback. She did not get the part.
Gaga has come a long way since that fateful audition and has an Oscar and a Golden Globe to prove it. She took home the Oscar for best original song in 2019 for A Star Is Born, but she was also nominated for best actress, losing to The Favourite‘s Olivia Colman. Her starring role in American Horror Story: Hotel earned her the best actress Golden Globe in 2016.
Gaga is poised to add more awards to her collection, with Hollywood buzzing over her performance of Patrizia Reggiani in the upcoming House of Gucci. Gaga herself says it’s a performance of a lifetime, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “Meaning I put my entire lifetime into her.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate if “illegal conduct” is to blame for surging gas prices hurting Americans’ pocketbooks.
Fuel prices are averaging above $3.40 a gallon, according to the American Automotive Association, which forecasts more than 48 million Americans are likely to hit the road next week to drive to Thanksgiving celebrations.
“The bottom line is this: gasoline prices at the pump remain high, even though oil and gas companies’ costs are declining. The Federal Trade Commission has authority to consider whether illegal conduct is costing families at the pump. I believe you should do so immediately,” Biden wrote in a letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan.
High gas prices can pose a big political problem for the president as a new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows 70% of those surveyed rate the economy negatively, including 38 percent who say it is in “poor” condition. About half of Americans overall and political independents blame Biden for fast-rising inflation.
The administration had previously asked the commission to monitor the gasoline market for any illegal conduct earlier this year, leading to the FTC increasing their oversight on mergers of oil companies that result in fewer options for consumers.
Biden argues the math doesn’t add up when it comes to pricing, noting that while the price of unfinished gasoline (for example, before ethanol has been added) has been down more than 5% in the last month, prices at the pump are up 3%. Usually, the prices for unfinished gas correlates with what is used to fill up car tanks, he said.
“The unexplained large gap between the price of unfinished gasoline and the average price at the pump is well above the pre-pandemic average. Meanwhile, the largest oil and gas companies in America are generating significant profits off higher energy prices,” Biden wrote.
“I do not accept hard working Americans are paying more for gas because of anti-competitive or otherwise potentially illegal conduct. I therefore ask the commission to further examine what is happening with oil and gas markets, and that you bring all the commission’s tools to bear if you uncover any wrongdoing,” he added.
Biden’s call for a probe is not likely to lead to any immediate relief at the pump.
The move prompted swift pushback from the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, which argued bad administration policy decisions, coupled with a market shift, have caused spiking prices.
“This is a distraction from the fundamental market shift that is taking place and the ill-advised government decisions that are exacerbating this challenging situation. Demand has returned as the economy comes back and is outpacing supply,” said Frank Macchiarola, API’s senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs.
“Rather than launching investigations on markets that are regulated and closely monitored on a daily basis or pleading with OPEC to increase supply, we should be encouraging the safe and responsible development of American-made oil and natural gas,” he added.
The administration has been pressed in recent weeks about how Biden planned to address the soaring costs of fuel Americans are feeling at the pump, with many particularly wondering if the he planned to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to alleviate some of the price spike.
The administration largely stayed mum on specifics, arguing instead there were a range of options they were considering to address the issue.
“The message to Americans is that we’re not just closely and directly monitoring the situation, which of course we’ve been doing, but we’re looking at every tool in our arsenal,” Psaki told reporters Nov. 12. “The president is quite focused on this as is the economic team.”
Ciara and her three children are special guests of the White House today to promote COVID-19 vaccinations for kids.
The Grammy winner and her three children – daughter Sienna Princess, 4, and sons Future Zahir, 7, and Win Harrison, 1 – will meet with first lady Dr. Jill Biden and pediatrician Dr. Hina Talib to discuss the importance of vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds, a White House official tells People.
“She has been eager to engage around vaccinations and particularly interested in promoting children vaccinations,” the White House official says about the “Level Up” singer.
Last month, the FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children in that age range.
“From the White House perspective, we are always looking for trusted messengers who we know from polling are the best people to convince people to get vaccinated,” the spokesperson continued. “That is no different for parents and their young children.”
While at the White House, Ciara will answer questions about the vaccine’s effectiveness for youth.
As previously reported, Ciara and her husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, are publishing a children’s picture book titled WHY NOT YOU? on March 1, 2022. Last month, they celebrated Ciara’s 36th birthday when Wilson rented the top two floors of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle observation tower and restaurant for an intimate dinner.
(WASHINGTON) — Jacob Chansley, the self-described “QAnon Shaman” who infamously marched through the U.S. Capitol with a spear and horned helmet during the Jan. 6 riot, was sentenced Wednesday to 41 months in prison for his role in the attack.
It matches the longest sentence handed down to any Jan. 6 participant, following the 41-month sentence handed down last week to Scott Fairlam, a former mixed martial arts fighter who pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer during the riot.
“The defendant was among the first 30 rioters to penetrate the U.S. Capitol building,” prosecutors said of Chansley in their filing. “The defendant then stalked the hallowed halls of the building, riling up other members of the mob with his screaming obscenities about our nation’s lawmakers, and flouting the ‘opportunity’ to rid our government of those he has long considered to be traitors.”
Chansley — who wasn’t accused of assaulting law enforcement or destroying property — pleaded guilty on Sept. 3 to one felony count of unlawfully obstructing an official proceeding.
On Wednesday, prior to sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall played social media recordings of Chansley in the Senate chamber, chanting what sounded like a bizarre prayer and blowing a bullhorn.
“That is not peaceful,” Paschall said. “That is chilling.”
Chansley, addressing the court, said he was “a good man who broke the law” and implored Judge Royce Lamberth to “judge a tree by its roots” in considering his sentence. “I am in no way, shape, or form a violent criminal. I am not an insurrectionist. I am certainly not a domestic terrorist,” he said. “I hope that you see my heart.”
“I was wrong for entering the Capitol. I have no excuse — no excuse whatsoever,” Chansley said. “In retrospect, I’d do everything differently on January 6 … I would try with all my heart and soul to stop people.”
“I think the hardest part about this is that I know that I’m to blame,” he added. “I hope that you see my remorse is genuine.”
Prosecutors called Chansley a key figure in the Capitol attack.
“The government cannot overstate the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct as one of the most prominent figures of the historic riot on the Capitol on January 6, 2021,” prosecutors said. “His consistent rhetoric before and after the event, and his apparent ability to carry out his intentions of violently removing the ‘traitors’ in our government, is clear from the evidence in this case. Only the valiant efforts of law enforcement kept those upon whom he set his sights out of his path.”
Multiple videos and images showed Chansley carrying his spear into the Senate chamber, where prosecutors say he led a group of rioters in a prayer on the dais and left a menacing note behind for then-Vice President Mike Pence.
“It’s Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!” the note read.
According to a brief presented to a judge in January, “Chansley is a high-profile leader and the self-professed shaman of QAnon.” In September, Chansley’s attorney said his client had rejected the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Chansley’s attorney, Albert Watkins, had argued that his client suffers from significant mental health vulnerabilities and last week asked for a sentence “significantly below” the 51 months being sought by prosecutors.
“This case is about a remarkable, gentle, kind, smart, spiritual, non-violent young man who has spent his life trying to overcome significant but secreted vulnerabilities, hardships, and societal neglect to self-educate scholastically, self-educate spiritually, self-navigate societally, and self-conclude that he is accountable for his actions, seeks to be held accountable, and wishes nothing short of the Court recognizing same,” Watkins said.
“He seeks not to be seen as a political prisoner,” Watkins said of his client. “He seeks not to blame a former president for his actions. He seeks not to justify his actions with any explanation. He seeks solely to be held accountable.”
(NEW YORK) — A self-portrait by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was sold for almost $35 million, including fees, at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Tuesday.
This portrait, titled ‘Diego y yo’ (Diego and me), had been part of a private collection for almost 30 years.
Frida Kahlo was married to Mexican artist Diego Rivera, who previously held the record for the most expensive artwork from Latin America. Rivera’s ‘The Rivals,’ was sold for $9.76 million in a 2019 auction.
“People started unraveling the depth of Frida Kahlo’s art decades after her death,” Gannit Ankori, an art historian, curator and Kahlo expert, told ABC News.
During her lifetime, the Mexican artist was never able to make a living through her paintings, and only had two gallery shows while she was still alive, Ankori said.
The 1949 self-portrait — described by Sotheby’s as a “masterpiece” — depicts the artist gazing at the viewer, with a small portrait of Diego Rivera seen in her forehead as a “third eye.” ‘Diego y yo’ was painted during the same year as Kahlo’s then-husband Rivera started an alleged extramarital affair with actress Maria Felix.
“This painting is very similar and dissimilar to Frida Kahlo’s work during this decade,” Ankori said. It was not the only painting with Rivera seen on her forehead, but “the expression of such raw emotion and grief — seen in the loose swirling hair that almost strangles her and is uncontained by the picture frame, the facial features and the tears — are unique,” Ankori said.
The same painting was sold for the first time in 1990 at Sotheby’s for $1.43 million by a New York collector, the art broker said. Before that,’ Diego y yo’ was owned by a friend of the Mexican couple.
“You could call tonight’s result the ultimate revenge, but in fact, it is the ultimate validation of Kahlo’s extraordinary talent and global appeal,” Anna Di Stasi, Sotheby’s director for Latin American Art, said in a press release.
The buyer is Argentinian real estate businessman and collector Eduardo Costantini.
Costantini, 75, is also the founder of the MALBA, the Latin American Art Museum in Buenos Aires.
Think Taylor Swift has taken over the news? You’re not alone. The headlines have been seemingly nonstop since she released Red (Taylor’s Version). Here’s the three latest updates about what’s going on in Taylor’s world.
First up: Fans widely believe the song “All Too Well” is about Taylor’s old flame, actor Jake Gyllenhaal, especially after the singer added this new and somewhat telling lyric to the 10-minute version of the song: “You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine/ And that made me want to die.” Well, Jake might have finally weighed in — though his rumored cat, Ms. Fluffle Stilt Skin. Ms. Fluffle has her own Instagram page, believed to be run by Jake but never confirmed, and referenced another Taylor song when telling her followers, “MEOUCH – y’all need to clam [sic] down and stop cyber bullying.” Shortly after that, someone in Jake’s camp told E! News the actor has “no interest” in the drama and is “living his life and focused on himself. He’s ignoring all of the noise.”
Next: If you want to recreate Taylor’s look from her “I Bet You Think About Me” music video, better kiss all your free time goodbye. Nicole + Felicia Couture created Taylor’s attention-grabbing white wedding dress and its red replica, which took “approximately 1,200 hours to complete,” reports Page Six. That’s 50 days. The dressmaker reveals there are 2,500 flowers on each gown and all the petals were handmade.
Lastly: Taylor is reportedly skipping Sunday’s American Music Awards. A source tells Hollywood Life Taylor’s “taking a break” from public appearances and instead, will let her recent SNL performance “speak for itself.” Taylor’s up for three big awards this year — artist of the year and favorite pop/rock female artist and album.
Ellen DeGeneres welcomed Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, to her chat show, in a sit down that will air Thursday.
In a preview of their visit, Meghan expressed how she felt returning to the Los Angeles Warner Bros. lot on which The Ellen DeGeneres Show is shot, and how the former Suits star used to audition there “all the time.”
In fact, the Duchess joked about her old Ford Explorer that she used to drive while trying to make it as an actor — and how her busted driver’s-side door lock required she used to have to climb in through the trunk.
Clearly, the former Deal or No Deal suitcase model has come a long way. “The security guards here used to say, ‘Break a leg, I hope you get it!’ Markle recalled with a laugh. “So the drive in today was very different.”
Check your local listings for when The Ellen DeGeneres Show airs in your market.
