SKOPE NEWS FOR JULY 3, 2018 @ 2 PM EST

2018’s Best & Worst Cities for Recreation – WalletHub Study

With July being National Parks and Recreation Month and America’s largest cities investing over $7 billion on parks this past year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best & Worst Cities for Recreation.

To highlight the benefits of recreational activities for consumers and economies across the country, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 45 key indicators of recreation-friendliness. For each city, we examined the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities, the quality of parks and the weather.

CANADIAN TOURISM PROJECT PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN FEATURES AWARD-WINNING MUSICIAN ED ROMAN

“Ed Roman is a man of many talents, and most of them have some relationship to where he lives right on the border of Melanchthon and Shelburne. As an award-winning singer/songwriter, international performer, multi-instrumentalist, vegetable farmer and promoter of the Davis Dyslexia Association, Roman brings it all back to his physical location.” – Headwaters Inspired Project website

Canadian musician Ed Roman is being featured as part of the Headwaters Inspired Project’s tourism promotion. Ed is spotlighted on their website, in a promo video, and in posters for the region. Ed is a resident of Shelburne, Ontario, right on the border with Melancthon, where he and his wife own Black Earth Music and Pottery.

Headwaters Inspired Profile: Ed Roman

Gaby Moreno and Van Dyke Parks Mark Independence Day with “The Immigrants”

Guatemalan-born singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno and American musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer Van Dyke Parks mark the United States’ Independence Day holiday with the release of their heartfelt interpretation of David Rudder’s “The Immigrants” on July 3, 2018. Rudder, a renowned Trinidadian Calypso artist, wrote the song twenty years ago in response to the horrifying attack by New York police officers on the Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. The song speaks, as much today as in 1998, to the harsh treatment of immigrants while also celebrating their contributions to America, and their admiration of the ideals upon which the nation was founded.

David Darrko Shares “Suffer Suburbia” Video Via All Things Go | EP Out Now On DSPs

Chicago-based pop romantic artist, David Darrko, shares his new music video for “Suffer Suburbia,” the title track of his recently released solo EP. All Things Go premiered the video, noting how the track is “channeling the heart-wrenching soft pop of the 90’s.” Last month, Darrko shared his, Suffer Suburbia EP – PopMatters exclusively streamed the record with praise, stating, “The four-song collection spotlights not only the Chicago’s love of pop and soul but his considerable abilities as a vocalist whose pure emotions come to the fore on each of these songs, including the single “Black Denim” and the opening, “Edge”, a song that thrives on subtle but dramatic stylistic turns while never losing its center.” Suffer Suburbia EP is out now on all DSPs.

KHALID UNVEILS MUSIC VIDEO FOR “OTW” FEATURING TY DOLLA $IGN & 6LACK

Today, multi-platinum global superstar Khalid unveils the music video for his single “OTW” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack, which was directed by CALMATIC. The track is available now at al digital retail providers via Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records.

BRANT BJORK premiere new song “Chocolatize”

Although “Mankind Woman” is indeed a BRANT BJORK record, it is the first record Brant so closely collaborate with a producer and co-writer; his Low Desert Punk Band guitarist and friend, Bubba Dupree. Brant and Bubba wrote and performed the music along with guest appearances by bass player Armand Secco Sabal, Nick Oliveri and vocalist Sean Wheeler who has been a touring member of the Low Desert Punk Band. The recording took place in March of 2018 at Zainaland, a creative villa owned by Brant Bjork’s wife, Zaina Alwan, in the California desert town of 29 Palms. The record was recorded and engineered by Yosef Sanborn who also owns and operates Massive FX pedals in Los Angeles. Multiple pedals designed by Yosef were used by Brant and Bubba for this record. Additional tracks were recorded by Bubba Dupree at Brant Bjork’s home studio in Venice beach California.

Brant Bjork Premieres “Chocolatize” from Mankind Woman; Preorders up Today

Watch emo trio Boat Race Weekend grow up in “Youth” music video

“The goal was to capture the joys you experience at different stages of life,” says drummer Jay Orth. “We reached out to friends and families and collected video clips because we wanted it to have that home video feel. We had another friend use his phone to take a video of the three of us playing in the living room of the house where we as a band have spent the last three years together living, growing up, and writing music.”

Arthur Nasson Shares “Superman” Via PopMatters

Prolific alternative rock artist Arthur Nasson shares the first track off his forthcoming LP Whack Mythology. Nasson spoke to PopMatters about “Superman” and the full length record writing, “The idea that mythology, whether personal or global and the social programming it instills in each of us, drives much about our actions and perception. In holding up this type of mirror both in personal and more broad ways, one can perhaps have a laugh and recognize some shared sense of what we go through in this life.”

The Sh8pshifter drops driving new single “Runaway”

The track premiered in an interview piece with Impose Magazine where The Sh8peshifter (Zakiya Harris) shared, “‘Runaway’ began, like most tunes with an infectious beat. I love fusing my rock-inspired rhythms with heavy drums. Once I heard the music, the lyrics just came thru my soul. The song is about movement, fluidity and flexibility. It is a reminder to stay agile and not get stuck. I think sometimes we normalize suffering and don’t realize our own agency in what we have to put up with. There is a time to fight and a time to run away. Running doesn’t have to mean giving up, it can actually be a source of freedom.”

Team Picture | Share video for ‘EVE’

“We chose to mangle ‘Eve’ after sharing one side of a 7″ with Laminate Pet Animal’s original, excellent, version of the song,” says Team Picture frontman, Josh. “We didn’t bother trying to recreate the original because we knew we had nowhere near enough bloopy and bleepy machinery, so we came at it as a re-imagining of the source material.”

Lil Baby shares “Boss Bitch” video feat. Hoodrich Pablo Juan

Lil Baby has released a new video for “Boss Bitch” feat. Hoodrich Pablo Juan, from his breakout album Harder Than Ever on Quality Control Music / Wolfpack Global Music / Motown / Capitol Records. The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart with three songs simultaneously in the Top 100 including smash hit “Yes Indeed” feat. Drake, “Southside” feat. Gunna, and “Life Goes On” feat. Gunna and Lil Uzi Vert. “Yes Indeed” is currently climbing at #11 on Billboard’s Top 100.

The Fader premieres debut single by Nylon Smile

The FADER just premiered ‘Dust’, the first single from Nylon Smile’s debut EP, Angel of Doubt EP, which comes out this August on Citrus City Records (Crumb, Vundabar). The EP was recorded and produced by Melina Duterte of Jay Som, and ‘Dust’ perfectly highlights her crystalline production as the driving track comes into focus.

Diplo debuts Florida to California mini-doc

The documentary chronicles Diplo’s storied career to date, from his beginnings in South Florida to his rise to stardom in Philadelphia to his latest EP California, named for the state where it was made and where he now works.

The doc includes footage of friends and collaborators including Justin Bieber, Madonna, Snoop Dogg, Post Malone, M.I.A, French Montana, Steve Aoki, Skrillex, A-Trak, DRAM, MØ, Dillon Francis, DJA, Switch, Ariel Rechtshaid, Dre Skull, Lee Scratch Perry, Tyler, The Creator, Jasper Dolphin, his Major Lazer bandmates Jillionaire and Walshy Fire and many more.

Tiësto releases official music video for ‘Jackie Chan’, with Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone

The track, which was released a month ago during EDC weekend has 73 million streams on Spotify so far, appearing in the Spotify Global 20 and at the top of “Today’s Top Hits” among many other key playlists. The lyric video has more than 22 million views!

UK Recording Artist YUNGBLUD Releases “21st Century Liability” Out Friday; New Song “Medication” Out Now

The new song was today’s World Record on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1. Of “Medication,” Dominic Harrison (Yungblud) says, “I think growing up in a heavily medicated, overprescribed society you quickly learn how to use drugs to distract yourself from addressing what’s going on in real life.”

Everything by Electricity’s Yulia flees Soviet oppression to finish ‘Place To Call My Own’

The outfit, who have gained UK radio support from the likes of BBC Introducing, Radio X and more, merge digitalised haziness over a beating mechanical heart of euphoric instrumentation. Their sound is littered with strains of alienation in the form of bittersweet synthesisers and whiteout lyricism stirred from lead-vocalist Yulia’s Siberian upbringing. In their live line-up the three-piece also features Daniel (bass guitar, synthesisers) and Manoela (drums, pads).

Want freedom? Look/listen no further than Edan Archer’s new single “Bad Imitation of Something Good”

Just in time for Independence Day, Florida-bred Nashville-based alt-country songcrafter Edan Archer has unleashed a brand new tune–a carefree Tom Petty-esque ode to being liberated from others’ ideas and assumptions about ourselves. The song shines a bright rock n’ roll spotlight on the absurdity of people trying to change each other. “Basically, this car ain’t changing directions,” explains Archer. “So, you can either stand back or get in.”