SKOPE NEWS FOR AUGUST 2, 2016

Rich Homie Quan And Tig Records Finally Reach A Settlement

Rich Homie Quan (RHQ) and Think It’s A Game Records finally reached a settlement and after several months of suing and countersuing from both parties. The legal battle which began towards the end of 2015 came to an end today and resulted in Rich Homie Quan and TIG settling their dispute without going to trial.

It all started around October last year when Rich Homie Quan filed a two-million- dollar suit against his record label, Thinks It’s A Game Records and its CEO Fly. According to the lawsuit, Rich Homie Quan had claimed Think It’s A Game Records along with Fly had deprived him of royalties for alot of his music; including the singles “Type of Way”, “Flex” and many of his albums. Less than a month later, Think It’s A Game Records responded with a counter-lawsuit against the rapper. In the suit, Fly claimed that Rich Homie Quan Failed to report to the label money he acquired from unauthorized music he released while under them.

Katie Rose “Wonder”

A young girl sits down at the piano, bearing her soul to anyone that will listen. It’s been awhile since her fingers danced around the ivory keys, gently agitating the settled dust. Seventeen year old Charleston singer and songwriter, Katie Rose, announces her debut pop EP, Everything Yesterday, due out August 18. Delicate and honest, the EP is the answer to the questions and new emotions everybody faces at one point in their life. The first single, “Wonder” is available as an approved downloadable mp3.

Stream Kllo’s ‘Well Worn’ EP Ahead of August 5th Release Date

Melbourne duo Kllo is excited to share an advance stream of Well Worn, their debut EP. Guided by the ghosts of UK garage and like-minded strains of underground dance music, lead single “Bolide” sets a skittish beat against a clipped chorus; second single “Walls to Build” melds Simon Lam’s synth lines with Chloe Kaul’s vapor-trailed verses; and the one-two punch of “Sense” and “On My Name” build a couple piano-laced ballads from a pillowy sound bed of laid-back loops and lovelorn melodies. “Don’t Be The One” is deceivingly simple as well, bringing the record to a close alongside a rubbery, elusive rhythm and a growing sense of tension and release. Catchy, yes, but also compelling enough to leave us all longing for the pair’s inevitable LP.

SONGWRITING PREMIERE ALLURI ‘MAN OF TRUTH’

Indian Indie may not be a genre that currently dominates your listening experience, but Hyderabad raised, London based Redd Alluri is about to change all that with his debut release Man of Truth. A diarist to his core, Alluri’s songs wrote themselves during a six month travel break between completing his Masters in Finland and returning home to India. Contemplating a return to the setting that shaped him, travelling allowed him to assess how he had changed, provoking the realisation that in London he had been something of an outsider in cultural terms, while simultaneously feeling fully at home in aspects of British life.

Rio 2016 Olympics By The Numbers – WalletHub Report

With the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics set to begin on Friday, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its Rio 2016 Olympics By The Numbers Report to help fans both get fired up for the athletic action and better understand the unique issues surrounding this Olympiad.

This report includes an infographic filled with fun facts and stats about the Rio Games as well as a Q&A with a panel of leading experts on the socioeconomics of the extravaganza. You can find a few highlights below.

$11.5B – Estimated cost of hosting the 2016 Rio Olympics.
85K – Security personnel will work the Rio Games – more than twice as many as the 2012 London Olympics.
26K – Cases of Zika were reported in Rio in the first three months of 2016.
32 Tons – Of dead fish will be removed from the rowing and canoeing lagoon before the water-based activities take place.
16 Years: Age of the youngest members of Team USA, gymnast Laurie Hernandez and hurdler Sydney McLaughlin – both from New Jersey.

Max Jury New Single ‘Love That Grows Old’

Having released his eponymous debut album in June this year to rave reviews, including a 5* album of the week from the Telegraph who enthused about that “Love That Grows Old taps into the anthemic ballads of solo Lennon and McCartney” and amassing over 20 million Spotify streams and 3 milion youtube views, Max Jury unveils the video for his new single.

ERIC CHURCH CEMENTS SEVENTH NO. 1, “RECORD YEAR”

Eric Church’s second single off Mr. Misunderstood hit No. 1 today just in time for fans to celebrate his seventh summit to the top of both MediaBase and Billboard charts when he kicks-off his first of two sold-out solo shows at Red Rocks on August 9. “Record Year” was co-written by Church and his guitarist/banjo player, Jeff Hyde (who also penned “Cold One” (with Luke Hutton), “Springsteen” (with Ryan Tyndell), and “Smoke A Little Smoke” (with Driver Williams) all alongside the man the Los Angeles Times called “Nashville’s foremost rabble-rouser”), and outlines a story of a heartbroken music-lover finding consolation in the records of some of music’s greatest masterminds.

Church drove home the homage-paying theme of “Record Year” when he performed it at the 2016 ACM Awards in April, which was interfolded with clips of David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Lemmy and Scott Weiland, before releasing the music video for the ode later that month, featuring a 3D audio waveform Church and video producer/longtime manager, John Peets, built by hand with vinyl. The No. 1 follows his Top 15 title track off of Mr. Misunderstood, the album New York Times says offers “shades of the Allman Brothers and the scraped-up Southern rock that has always been essential to Church’s country antagonism here, but also bluesy country gospel.”

Memphis punk band Ex-Cult premiere eerie “Summer of Fear”

Ex-Cult’s Summer Of Fear single features two new killer cuts from the Memphis-based punk bruisers. On the A-side there’s snarling “Summer Of Fear” and on the B-side we have “1906”, a cover of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band switched on 45rpm and cranked through a broken PA. This 7” comes housed in a die cut jacket featuring the classic Ex-Cult logo with a printed inner sleeve behind it. There’s also a special version on the record on translucent red vinyl (LTD 500) which is available while supplies last.

GUCCI MANE IS ON TOP WITH “EVERYBODY LOOKING”

“EVERYBODY LOOKING,” the acclaimed new album from Atlantic recording artist Gucci Mane, has made an incredible chart debut, coming out at #1 on Soundscan/Billboard’s Top Current Albums chart; his highest ranking debut to date. Gucci’s first studio album in half a decade, “EVERYBODY LOOKING” is available now in stores and all DSP’S and streaming services

“EVERYBODY LOOKING” – which immediately topped the iTunes Store’s “Top Albums” chart upon its July 22nd release – was recorded in Atlanta over six days immediately following Gucci’s early release from prison last May, a surprise for his millions of supporters after the overwhelming public response to his spring homecoming. In addition to production by Mike WiLL Made-It (Future, Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign) and Zaytoven (Usher, Nicki Minaj), the album also boasts features from Drake, Kanye West, and Young Thug. Last Friday, the album was celebrated with custom Ice Cream trucks donned with the hashtag “#EverybodyLicking” provided by Spotify. The streets were served Gucci Mane inspired ice cream cones reminiscent of his iconic face tattoo, while tracks off of the recently released “EVERYBODY LOOKING” played in the background.

Young Dolph – “Rich Crack Baby”

The King of Memphis returns. Young Dolph stunts in his “Rich Crack Baby” video, hanging around the block with fancy cars, bags of cash, and your girlfriend. Fresh off the release of two mixtapes, Young Dolph is also embarking on the 17-date Royalty Tour starting August 9th in Dallas, TX and finishing up September 2nd in Norfolk, VA. Following a July 16th appearance at the upcoming Pray For Peace Fest in East Chicago, alongside Wale, Ty Dolla $ign, Young Thug & Lil Uzi Vert, the Royalty Tour will feature performances of songs from King of Memphis and Bo$$e$ and $hooter$, as well as older tracks and featured verses. “Rich Crack Baby” is the latest from a string of video releases, following “On My Way” and “Let Me See It.”

JUSTIN PETER KINKEL-SCHUSTER (OF WATER LIARS) PREMIERES NEW SONG “LAID LOW”

Kinkel-Schuster, who recently wrapped up a run of dates with Water Liars, will head back out on the road next week in support of Julien Baker throughout the west coast and southwest. He will then join up with Futurebirds for a number of shows in Texas and Louisiana before wrapping up with two shows with John Moreland in Alabama. A current itinerary is below and more solo shows will be announced soon.

KT Tunstall Releases New Music Video For “Maybe It’s a Good Thing”

KT Tunstall today launched a new music video for her lead single “Maybe It’s a Good Thing”, from the soon-to-be-released album KIN. The video was shot in London by director Yoni Weisberg, whose previous works includes Band of Skulls, Courtney Barnett, Rhodes and more. As the video portrays, “Maybe It’s a Good Thing” shows KT at her very best, exemplifying a moment in life captured in a bright, powerful pop song with an irresistible an unforgettable melody. KT will release KIN September 9th on Caroline records, and hit the road on September 14th for a US tour throughout the fall. Watch the video HERE.

THE BAND PERRY RELEASE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED BRAND-NEW SINGLE – “COMEBACK KID”

GRAMMY® Award-winning superstar sibling trio THE BAND PERRY release their highly-anticipated brand-new single, “Comeback Kid,” today via Mercury Nashville / Interscope Records. The track, about overcoming adversity, was written by Kimberly Perry, Reid Perry, and Neil Perry, and co-produced by the trio with Benny Cassette, marking the first time The Band Perry has co-produced one of its songs.

ALIN DRAGAN ‘TAKE ME BACK’

Romanian DJ and producer Alin Dragan has been causing huge waves in his native country thanks to his infectious beats and perfectly crafted DJ sets. At 17 years of age he made the bold decision to relocate from his hometown of Sinaia to Bucharest – a move that has certainly paid off. As well as supporting international stars such as Ferreck Dawn and Tom Novy in the club, he is the mastermind behind hits like ‘My My’, ‘I Wanna’ and ‘Endless’ – a record collection many aspire to produce.

‘Take Me Back’ is Alin Dragan’s latest offering and it doesn’t disappoint, courtesy of it’s perfect blend of hard hitting Future House sounds and a chilled out breakdown. Full of lush vocals, heavy FM bass-lines, mesmerizing pads and driving percussion, this top-notch production is sure to cause chaos in clubs around the globe. Included along with original are two stomping remixes, one from Boysinadisco and another from José Maria Ramon, William Medagli and Thallulah, who add their own personal flavours to the record.

NEUROSIS Shares Sounds From Their Forthcoming ‘Fires Within Fires’ Album

In true Ouroborean style, Fires Within Fires gives due to its predecessors while progressing forward into the unfamiliar and formidable. Striking NEUROSIS’s signature balance between light and dark, beauty and repulsion, dense sonic heaviness and reflective space. Fires Within Fires is succinct, raw and deeply soulful, an all-encompassing reminder to all that transfiguration in sound remains their most commanding and inimitable strength. Our first and only glimpse of the music on this record, prior to release date, is sampled in a new video which has emerged, here you can also marvel at the exquisite album artwork from the renowned Thomas Hooper.

Robbing Millions unleash new psych-pop single ‘Dreams Like Photographs’

‘Dreams Like Photographs’ is the new single to be taken from Robbing Millions self-titled debut album, which will be released by [PIAS] later on this year. In the vein of POND, Tame Impala or MGMT it’s an eminently danceable psych-pop track full of weird and winding twists and turns.

The group, made up primarily of Brussels duo Lucian Fraipont and Gaspard Ryelandt, recorded their album during a 2-week stint in New York in 2015 with none other than cult wizard Nicolas Vernhes, known for his work with Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective and The War on Drugs, behind the controls. Between mix sessions, they performed no fewer than 8 shows during the CMJ Music Marathon festival.

Sam Feldt Collaborates with 360 App

Delving into the world of virtual reality, Dutch heavyweight Sam Feldt can now unveil his latest collaboration. Teaming up with the 360 App, the ‘Show Me Love’ hit-maker makes remarkable history by becoming the first ever artist to give fans a 360 experience whilst out on tour, through the future of technology – virtual reality.

This unique development in technology comes at a time when social media and technological devices play a key role in an artist’s progression, and taking that next step forward into the future – Sam is now able to provide his fans with rare exposure & close up views of his infamous live performances, with or without the use of virtual reality glasses.

X AMBASSADORS & TOM MORELLO “COLLIDER”

X Ambassadors rocked Lollapalooza this past weekend with an explosive set on the Samsung stage featuring a guest appearance by Tom Morello for the song “Collider.” The video for “Collider” was shot in Los Angeles and directed by Tess Harrison. “Collider” appears on VHS 2.0, the deluxe edition of X Ambassadors’ gold certified debut album VHS.

OLD DOMINION’S MUSIC VIDEO FOR “SONG FOR ANOTHER TIME”

Every journey begins with a first step, and for the critically-acclaimed, award-winning band Old Dominion, those first few thousand strides were spent playing non-stop across the country, years before ever receiving recognition from Music Row. It’s those performances, and the moments in-between, that the band credits for preparing them for the onset of their recent success, however instead of dismissing their past, the five-member band consisting of Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Geoff Sprung, Brad Tursi and Whit Sellers have chosen to put a spotlight on those nostalgic moments via never-before-seen clips in their latest music video. Beyond just highlighting the vast influences along their musical journey, “Song For Another Time,” their latest from Meat And Candy, takes a retrospective approach to the music video for their single that artistically combines home video footage from each member’s childhood, along with photos and videos from defining moments in the band’s emerging career.

CHECK OUT K ROOSEVELT’S NEW VIDEO “FAMILIAR ENERGY”

Soft, melodic, and blissful, a few words to describe Interscope recording artist K. Roosevelt’s music. Today he brings fans a visual for his new song “Familiar Energy.” Check it out here. Kevin Roosevelt Moore II, also known as K. Roosevelt, is an American artist, producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles, CA.

BARB WIRE DOLLS ALBUM STREAM

Vigorous LA grunge/punk rockers BARB WIRE DOLLS released their new album, Desperate, in North America this past Friday via Motörhead Music/UDR. Today, you can stream it in full via Alternative Press. Check out AP’s “30 Things You Need to Know That Happened Last Week” list to find the stream featured here.

SLOW CLUB RELEASE “IN WAVES” VIDEO

How do you keep a band interesting after ten years? It’s a question Slow Club’s Charles and Rebecca must have asked themselves as they started work on their fourth album. From the cute indie-folk of their 2009 debut Yeah So, to the wonky-pop of its follow up Paradise, two years later, to the sophisticated, polished soul of 2014’s Complete Surrender, this is a band that have never stood still, going out of their way to present a new version of themselves on every release, while maintaining the spirit, the warmth and the chemistry that has marked their music since they formed in 2006.

Seattle’s Smokey Brights have a new single, “In Demand”

“Hot damn, Hot Candy! Modern rock n roll never sounds this fresh. The second album from Smokey Brights is both a rebirth and a milestone, a head trip and a body high, meticulously crafted but natural as daylight. The music taps into history and stretches out a kind of visionary rock that rolls relentlessly forward while recombining iconic sounds – prog, funk, Bowie, Styx, Wilco, Flaming Lips- into something urgent and fun and utterly surprising.

MARK CUBAN, SARA FOSTER, COLE SWINDELL, AND FORMER MISS AMERICA SHARLENE WELLS HAWKES TAPPED AS FIRST ROUND OF JUDGES FOR THE 96th MISS AMERICA COMPETITION LIVE BROADCAST

The Miss America Organization, dick clark productions and ABC revealed today that entrepreneur Mark Cuban, actress Sara Foster (VH1’s “Barely Famous”), singer-songwriter Cole Swindell and former Miss America Sharlene Wells Hawkes will serve as celebrity judges for the “2017 Miss America Competition.” Chris Harrison (ABC’s “The Bachelor” and “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”) returns to host the legendary competition, with Sage Steele (ABC’s and ESPN’s “NBA Countdown”) joining as co-host. Miss America airs live from Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 (9:00 – 11:00p.m. ET/PT) on the ABC Television Network. The evening will be filled with glitz and glam as 52 women compete for the coveted crown and scholarships.

Health&Beauty Premiere New Album

This Friday, August 6, the Chicago-based trio Health&Beauty will release their Wichita Recordings debut NO SCARE. Today, Stereogum premiered the album in its entirety.

VRTIFY Brings Coldplay and Florence + the Machine All Under One VR Platform

VRTIFY, the first-ever virtual reality (VR) music platform in which users can create, share and enjoy their favorite music content in VR. There are already number music artists on the platform including Coldplay, Kaskade, Sting and Florence + the Machine among others!

Through its immersive technology, VRTIFY listeners can get a front row seat at concerts and recitals, explore partner channels with exclusive content, or simply pick from any music source such as personal playlists, music files and Spotify all in full 360 degree and stereoscopic 3D virtual reality and sound. They can listen to their playlists while experiencing 360-degree/3D environments.

Get a glimpse of VRTIFY in action and to see how it works, you can watch a video on the site here.

Zaxx “Phunky”

Having taken over the decks for last month’s episode of Musical Freedom Radio, New York-based DJ/producer Zaxx returns to Musical Freedom with a heavy-hitting new single, “Phunky.” His latest offering, “Phunky” has all the qualities of a festival anthem incorporating heavy synths, an energizing bassline and elements that give it an exotic flare.

WEBSTER PUBLIC RELATIONS CELEBRATES 22 CLIENTS IN BILLBOARD’S ‘GREATEST OF ALL-TIME COUNTRY ARTISTS’

It’s no secret that Webster Public Relations is blessed to work with some of the best-selling and most influential artists of all time. Collectively, our artists have sold hundreds of millions of records and Billboard’s recent ‘Greatest of All-Time Country Artists’ chart proves it.

Webster PR’s client roster continues to tour year-around, record new music and entertain their loyal fan base, and can also be seen on such national TV series as Today, The Tonight Show, Fox & Friends and more.

NEW VIDEO : OPTIMYSTIC – “SPIT THAT SHIT” FT. KEITH MURRAY

Australian emcee OptiMystic presents his new video “Spit that shit” which features Keith Murray. Shot in Times Square NYC, the uplifting track is lifted from his forthcoming double album; “Day of the Guiding Light / Followed by the shadow”.

OptiMystic has been manifesting dreams, making connections and spreading his vibe the only way he knows how… with raw love and hard-core positivity! His passion and extreme addiction to the art of rap has lead him on an amazing journey from childhood to the present moment. In 2005 he released his debut ‘ReVamp’ an independent release that featured Grammy award-winning superstar Speech from Arrested Development.

Allison Iraheta + Halo Circus Release New Video “Nothing At All”

Critically-acclaimed band Allison Iraheta + Halo Circus just released their latest video “Nothing At All.” We hope you’ll check it out below and consider sharing with your readers!

‘Nothing at All” is from the band’s long-awaited full-length album, Bunny, that dropped last month. Most recently, lead singer Allison Iraheta won the LA Music Critic Award for “Best Pop/Rock Female Artist.”

FLUME’S “NEVER BE LIKE YOU” CERTIFIED PLATINUM IN THE U.S.

“Never Be Like You,” the breakout hit off Australian artist Flume’s latest album Skin, has been certified Platinum in the U.S. The massively successful track is currently #13 at Pop Radio with a 42.7 million listener audience and continues to climb. The song has received more than 244 million streams (across Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube and Vevo), with over 440,000 tracks sold worldwide.

Flume is fresh from a massive second-to-close mainstage set at Lollapalooza this weekend, of which festival promoter Huston Powell said, “It was the biggest crowd we have had by a sub-headliner in the 12 years we have been in Grant Park. There must have been 65,000 people in front of Flume.”

South Florida Streaming Sensation wifisfuneral Drops Haunting New Video

19-year-old Palm Beach, FL wunderkind wifisfuneral wrestles his demons under candlelight in the Nassacre-directed visual for “Grim,” premiered today by Mass Appeal. Riding eerie minimalist production from Alex Freedo, wifisfuneral shares boastful bars about his status as a rising star. As he says on the hook: “Stuff some benz up on my rari/ Then I skirt off into space/ Just a youngin’ getting money man like what more can I say.” “Grim” is one of the most popular tracks from wifisfuneral’s acclaimed Black Heart Revenge project, which charted at #69 on the iTunes Hip-Hop Chart with virtually no promotion, and earned wifi a co-sign from Earl Sweatshirt. Praised by Complex as a “raw brand of turn up music meant to be played at high volumes in his hometown of Palm Beach and beyond,” Black Heart Revenge, which released via wifi’s own label Rich Life Records, marks the beginning of a promising career for Wifisfuneral, featuring tracks like the braggadocious “It Don’t Matter,” which earned over 638,000 plays on Soundcloud, the Yung SVGE-produced anthem “Lights” (463,000 plays), and the dark, street banger “Trap $pot” (362,000 plays).

PITTSBURGH’S BOONIE THE KID TAKES IT “A FEW LEVELS HIGHER”

As the middle child of five, and born in the projects to parents who struggled with drug and alcohol addictions, Boonie witnessed many things that no child, or person s hould have to be exposed to. Growing up, he did odd jobs and even committed petty crimes to help bring food and a little bit of money into the house. Moving to the Homewood area of Pittsburgh at eleven years old, Boonie’s involvement in the streets got even deeper, which eventually led to doing a bid in juvenile detention and later in life he found himself doing time in adult correctional facilities.

JUSTIN MOORE TO PERFORM INTIMATE CONCERT EVENTS FOR FANS TO CELEBRATE RELEASE OF FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM

JUSTIN MOORE is celebrating the release of his fourth studio album KINDA DON’T CARE (available August 12) with series of fan-focused events and performances across the Southeast. The Arkansas native will kick off a week of intimate performances in his home state before stopping in Nashville, TN, Charlotte, NC and Indianapolis/Noblesville, IN to bring his fans his long-awaited collection of new music.

“We took our time with this project and I am very excited to get to show the fans what we’ve been working on,” shared Moore. “I figured there’s no better way than to get out there, sing, and probably have some fun along the way.”

THIRD EYE BLIND TO DONATE SALES FROM “RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU BELIEVE IN SCIENCE” SHIRT TO HILLARY FOR AMERICA CAMPAIGN

During Third Eye Blind’s recent appearance in Cleveland, OH for Musicians On Call, an organization which brings music to the bedsides of patients in health care facilities, frontman Stephan Jenkins asked the attending crowd: “Raise your hand if you believe in science.” Since then the phrase caught fire and has been making the rounds online with even Hillary Clinton echoing the phrase “I believe in science” during her official acceptance of the Democratic party nomination for President of the United States last Thursday evening in Philadelphia, PA. To show support, Third Eye Blind has created its very own “Raise Your Hand If You Believe In Science” shirt and will donate the proceeds from the sales of the shirt to the Hillary For America campaign. More details on the shirt can be found on Third Eye Blind’s Facebook page HERE.

Dan Sugarman Releases “Mind Frame”

Dan Sugarman (alum, As Blood Runs Black), in collaboration with sixteen-year-old shred prodigy, Sims Cashion, just unleashed a stunning progressive guitartillery bombardment with “Mind Frame”.

Ta-ku & Wafia drop stunning new track “Love Somebody”

Australian producer Ta-ku and rising singer Wafia share their new song “Love Somebody” from their collaborative (m)edian EP out this Friday 8/5 via Future Classic. The stunning, highly emotive track showcases the duo’s undeniably powerful union. Catch the duo on tour this fall in the US – full dates below.

WORSHIPPER Unleashes New Song “Place Beyond the Light”

Boston-based metal band, WORSHIPPER, will release its full-length debut, Shadow Hymns, on August 26 via Tee Pee Records. Recorded at Q Division, Mad Oak, and Converse Rubber Tracks Studios with producers Benny Grotto (Aerosmith, Orange Goblin) and David Minehan (The Replacements), the LP showcases the group’s melodically thunderous sound. In advance of the LP’s release, Brooklyn Vegan premieres the new song, “Place Beyond the Light”, saying, “Worshipper traffic in the kind of classically-oriented capital-h Heavy Metal that delivers hooks as directly and effectively as possible.” Hear WORSHIPPER’s “Place Beyond the Light” now, at THIS location.