The ‘Train Dreams’ soundtrack is set for release on November 7, ahead of the film’s Netflix premiere on November 21. Adapted from Denis Johnson’s acclaimed novella, the film stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker navigating a life of quiet profundity in the rapidly changing America of the early 20th century.

Director Clint Bentley spoke about the collaboration with Bad Seeds singer Nick Cave in a press release: “When we started thinking about making a song for the film, Nick felt like the perfect artist to do it. It turns out that Train Dreams is one of his all-time favourite books, but he initially feared there wouldn’t be time to do something because he was getting ready to go on tour. Then he watched the film and was inspired to write something and the whole thing came together really quickly.

He continued “There’s a deep poeticism alongside rock and roll. And that just felt like the perfect fit for a film like this that’s telling the story of this person who lived a beautiful resonant life, even if it did include heartache and pain”.

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On hearing the song for the first time, Bentley said: “I was blown away. It surpassed anything I felt like it might be. It took all the feelings that I was trying to communicate at the end of the movie and expanded them into another place. I was so struck by how the song builds to the end when other voices start to drift in, as if on the wind. His lyrics are so evocative and there’s a deep mystery to the song, especially when thinking about Grainier’s story. Every time I listen to it, I’m more moved by it”.

‘Train Dream’s marks another addition to Cave’s growing list of film and television collaborations. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that he and long-time creative partner Warren Ellis will score the new TV adaptation of his 2009 novel ‘The Death of Bunny Munroe’. In case you missed it, MXDWN’s earlier coverage of this can be read here.

The English-Ghanaian rapper shared his excitement for the new project on Instagram, “This is something we’ve been working on behind the scenes for a long time: a platform for bold, authentic and powerful British storytelling.”

The announcement preview shows Stormzy playing his first lead role as the protagonist of his film.

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The #Merky creative umbrella homes a line of projects including #Merky Books, #Merky FC and #Merky Foundation. This new venture into film already has its first release set for 18 June, the short film Big Man. Stormzy will star as the lead role in the film, directed by Aneil Karia, known for the Oscar-winning film The Long Goodbye. Big Man will take to YouTube with bold cinematography filmed on the iPhone 16 Pro in partnership with Apple. 

Big Man will take on a paralleling narrative to his music, following “the poignant, fictional story of Tenzman, a former rap star now navigating a restless and uncertain chapter of his life” as he summarised in a press release. Stormzy and the team behind the new film company spoke to the Guardian about the upcoming release, sharing that “the film thoughtfully explores themes of reconnecting with your younger self and embracing gratitude”.

This is only the start of #Merky Films, as Stormzy went on to share future plans for the company, which will include “thought-provoking documentaries”, a “bold new animation project” and a “boundary-pushing, new-age mockumentary”. The release of #Merky Films comes after his latest single ‘Easier Done Than Said’ with JVCK JAMES. After a three year break from his last solo album ‘This Is What I Mean’, the singer shared the rapid vent track ‘Sorry Rach!’ in which he calls out his frustrations following the backlash from his previous partnership with McDonalds.     

With slower releases in music, Stormzy has focused on creations under the #Merky projects. The rapper has posted several updates to projects on Instagram, sharing improvements to #Merky FC which was created to combat the underrepresentation of black people in football leadership roles. Additionally, Stomzy has put #Merky Foundation as a priority online, announcing applications for Stormzy Scholarships at Cambridge University.   

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Keep up to date with updates on Stormzy’s next movements on social media, and watch out for new information on #Merky Films on the official website.

Directed by Ade Femzo, we follow a typical day in the life of six hopeful musicians along with studio sessions with Kojey Radical as they bring their unique perspectives into what they make. This is the second instance of projects Kojey Radical is involved with (which are funded by Dr Marten’s “Tough As You” initiative). We see a case of this artist seeking to break the divisions that make creating music a luxury only some can afford.  In finding ways for communities of young people to express themselves in social spaces, those who for so long have been underrepresented in such a fickle industry can join the conversation through art. Watch the promo for this new film down below:

Discussing the aim of his latest endeavours, Kojey Radical stated; “You can’t beat that youthful excitement to be here – if you can give that opportunity to young people that really want it and you can see and feel that hunger that’s what it’s about. It’s inspiring for me; it’s inspiring to them and it’s only going to do good things in the long run.”

Through Music We Rise is set to launch a free screening on the 27^th of June 2022 at Concorde, Homerton which will also feature a panel discussion between Kojey Radical and Rise 365 to raise awareness for his mentorship scheme with particular focus on those growing up on the Kingsmead Estate in East London.

Kojey Radical is set to hit the stage at a bunch of festivals this summer as well as a few headline shows at some major venues here in the UK. Check out the list of where you’re likely to find him in the following list:

Tour Dates

24/06/2022- Glastonbury (Lonely Heart Stage)- Somerset, UK
26/06- Glastonbury (Other Stage)- Somerset, UK
01/07- El Dorado Festival- Herefordshire, UK
22/07- Bluedot Festival- Macclesfield, UK
23/07- Standon Calling Festival- Standon, UK
29/07- Liverpool International Music Festival- Liverpool, UK
27/08- Lost Village Festival- Lincolnshire, UK
03/09- Forwards Festival- Bristol, UK
10/09- Naked City Festival- London, UK
01/11- Manchester Albert Hall- Manchester, UK
02/11- SWG3 TV Studio- Glasgow, UK
03/11- O2 Academy Brixton- London, UK

Tickets can be found here.

Lurhmann tends to attract a fair bit of scrutiny and excitement wherever his talents wander, such is his reputation, but the lengthy lay off period and ambition of his latest proposal seems to have stirred up quite the frenzy of interest even by his standards. The main question on everyone’s lips – who’s got the cojones to play Elvis Presley?

The answer to that question is Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actor Austin Butler, a somewhat left field and surprising choice from Luhrmann considering the actor’s fairly unknown profile, however one that is paying off judging by the early reviews and praise his performance is garnering. There were some big names going for the role though, most notably none other than the British mega star Harry Styles.

Recently appearing on the Fitzy and Wippa podcast this week, Baz Luhrmann explained that whilst Styles is a “really talented actor“, he was simply too culturally iconic in his own right to work for the role: “Harry is a really talented actor. I would work on something with him. The real issue with Harry is, he’s Harry Styles. He’s already an icon.“.

Going on to further explain why Austin Butler had the edge he said “The thing about Austin was that he will tell you himself, I didn’t pick him: It’s as if he was drawn, like the role drew him in because he was almost born to play it. You know, we can talk about it now, he loses his mom at the same age that Elvis did. He sends a video to me of this thing and… It just happened like two years of non-stop living and breathing as Elvis. He’s now going through a sort of deprogramming thing because it’s been a long time since he’s known who he was.”

You can catch Elvis in cinemas across the UK from June 24th.

Directed by Andrew Dominik (Chopper, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Blonde), the forthcoming film follows on from the 2016 documentary “One More Time With Feeling” which came in the wake of tremendous tragedy at the loss of Cave’s 15-year-old son Arthur. The film included 35 minutes of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds performing works from the album Skeleton Tree at Air Studios.

Take in the haunting new performance of “Ghosteen speaks” down below:

“This Much I Know To Be True” will feature songs from the albums Ghosteen and Carnage. Performed by a prestigious ensemble of vocalists and strings that will breathe a renewed spirit into the stories. The documentaries’ purpose was described here, stating; “Interstitial pieces between the songs illuminate the cosmology and themes of the music. We hear about the process of Nick writing The Red Hand Files – the letters he chooses to answer and the replies themselves – giving us an insight into his current concerns in life and music, and into the method by which he is able to bring his own thoughts and feelings into order. We also visit the workshop where he is creating a series of sculptures depicting the life of the Devil – a portrait of the lives of all of us as we move from innocence to experience, attune to the world and its attendant loss, and eventually confront our own mortality.”

“THIS MUCH I KNOW TO BE TRUE reaches into the deep friendship and personal relationship between Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, something glimpsed in the 2014 Cave pseudo-documentary, 20,000 Days on Earth. The film will prove to be another significant moment in the journeys of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, capturing the mood and spirit of the pair as they move through a new, optimistic phase.”

This latest film will be released in cinemas on the 11^th of May 2022. Tickets are available here.  The trailer which dropped on the 23^rd of March 2022 can be found below:

Nick Cave is currently blazing through a North American headline tour in support of the album Carnage, marking the first-ever US Tour shared by Cave and Ellis as a duo.

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The upcoming film was directed by BJ McDonnell and stars Foo Fighters’ band members Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Rami Jafee. McDonnell has prior experience working with rock bands, having directed multiple music videos for the heavy metal band Slayer, and is also known for his work on the 2013 horror film Hatchet III. The forthcoming musical horror film’s cast also features Whitney Cummings, Will Forte, Jenna Ortega, Jeff Garlin and American Horror Story star Leslie Grossman.

The plot centres around the band’s efforts to record their hotly anticipated tenth studio album, which entails them moving into an Encino mansion to produce their record. The house proves to be overrun with history, both gruesome and musical. The recording space turns into a haunted mansion and supernatural forces take it upon themselves to disrupt the band’s work. A trailer has been released ahead of the movie’s general release.

Speaking on Studio 666, Grohl has given the following statement expressing his passion for the project, “Yep…we actually went and made a big, loud, bloody horror movie. Because…why the hell not?” After keeping Studio 666 our dirty little secret for years, we’re so fucking excited to bring it to you guys for a full-on theatrical release. This thing was MEANT for the big screen. We hope you have as much fun watching it as we did making it.”

Director McDonnell has also spoken on the upcoming feature,  “STUDIO 666 is a perfect combination of all things I love. Rock, horror, and comedy all tied together in a very thrilling motion picture. I am so excited to have teamed up with the Foo Fighters to create an old school “Band” movie. It’s been years since we’ve seen something like the Beatles “Help!”, The Monkees “Head”, or “KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park”. Take that 60’s / 70’s old school band film fun, mix it with horror and STUDIO 666 is born! I am so ecstatic for audiences of film and music to come together and enjoy our film.”

Studio 666 is not Grohl’s first forayer into film; the founding member and frontman released What Drives Us in 2021. The documentary aims to explore the lives of musicians on the road and the van life in which these artists experience, the feature was the second documentary released in 2021 to be directed by the grunge icon. Grohl also directed and starred in a six-part docu-series entitled From Cradle to Stage, which explored the relationships between artists and their mothers and the influence which the maternal bond held within their lives and art. The series also featured Pharrell Williams, Miranda Lambert and Rage Against the Machine member Tom Morello.

Tickets are on sale now for Studio 666, click here to purchase tickets and see the schedule for your local cinema.

measure of a man. 18th nov 2021. #centralcee @KingsmanMovie https://t.co/cj5TZBuyAL pic.twitter.com/28V3Bk1C4F

— FKA twigs (@FKAtwigs) November 11, 2021

FKA Twigs teased a clip for the duo’s new single “Measure Of A Man” in this Instagram post.  

 

 

 

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Tahliah Debrett Barnett known as FKA Twigs is an English singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actress. The singer-songwriter made her impact on the musical world with her debut EP EP1 in 2012 and received critical acclaim for her debut album LP1 released in 2014. The album was also nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2014 and the singer continued her musical journey with the release of another EP M3LL155X (Pronounced Melissa) and her last studio album to date Magdalene. FKA Twigs is also remembered for her debut single “Water Me” as well as singles “Two Weeks” and “Pendulum”.

Oakley Neil H T Caesar-Su known as Central Cee is a British rapper and songwriter whose musical journey began with his collaboration with J Hus and other artists for the single “Ain’t On Nuttin Remix” in 2015. Central Cee also released his single “StreetHeat Freestyle” in 2015 and went on to release album 17 in 2017 and the single “Next Up” in 2019.  Central Cee followed up his releases with breakout single “Day In The Life” and single “Loading” both released in 2020. The rapper’s debut mixtape Wild West released in March reached number 2 in the UK Official Albums Charts and was deemed the most-streamed album of the week. The rapper also released his single “6 for 6″ in March.

Wild West by @central_cee debuts at Number 2 on the Official Albums Chart – the most-streamed album of the week https://t.co/CSRVPVjBG1 pic.twitter.com/9i3iY7cr1z

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) March 19, 2021

Watch the video for Central Cee’s September single “Obsessed With You” here.

FKA Twigs and Central Cee have now merged their musical talents for their new single “Measure Of A Man”. The new single is from the soundtrack for the film The Kings Man and stars actors Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode and Tom Hollander. The film was pushed back from February 14th 2020 due to the Covid 19 Pandemic and is now set for release in the UK on December 22nd. The King’s Man is the prequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) from The Kingsman franchise.

Watch the official trailer for The Kings Man here.

The single “Measure Of A Man” is said to have been written by Jamie Hartman, John Hill, Amanda Ghost, Dominic Lewis, Jane Goldman and The King’s Man director Matthew Vaughn.  The single is to be released jointly with Parlophone and new joint venture Marv Music a British production company from both Marv and Warner Group. Twigs announced recently that she is set to release a mixtape that in her own words is “Really deep, emotional and honest but hopefully more golden tears than blue”. “I channelled my melancholy differently this time and it was so amazing” Central Cee also teamed up with Tion Wayne for the remix of Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” single from his number 1 smash hit album Equals (=) released in October.

Central Cee has continued his collaborative streak with FKA Twigs for their new single “Measure Of A Man” and both look set to be busy in the music world in the immediate future.

Listen to FKA Twigs and Central Cee’s new single “Measure Of A Man” here

@bbcr1 #claraamfo #centralcee https://t.co/rgCmy2IvnX pic.twitter.com/tn2rpWhsGE

— FKA twigs (@FKAtwigs) November 18, 2021

The world lost the raspy-voiced icon on 28th December 2015 after he tragically lost his battle to cancer, just four days after the singer’s 70th Birthday. His funeral service held in Los Angeles at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills was live-streamed on YouTube with over 230,000 fans watching to pay their respects.

Riki Rachtman, the former host of MTV’s ‘Headbangers Ball’ from 1990-1995, was one of the lucky few who received one of the golden bullets with his friend’s ashes inside. He recently took to Twitter to display his bullet and thank his friend.

Before his death #Lemmy asked for his ashes to be put in some bullets & handed out to his closest friends Today I received a bullet & was literally brought to tears Thank you @myMotorhead pic.twitter.com/gnI9aWe4iU

— Rev. Riki Rachtman (@RikiRachtman) March 22, 2021

Lemmy had become a symbol of hard living and hard rock n roll during his life and is most remembered as singer and bassist for British rockers ‘Motörhead’. Originally named ‘Bastard’, Lemmy decided to change the name to ‘Motörhead’, which was the name of the last song he had written for ‘Hawkwind’. Forming ‘Motörhead’ in 1975, Lemmy previously was the bassist and vocalist for the band ‘Hawkwind’, famed for their number three hit ‘Silver Machine’. Lemmy was soon kicked out of ‘Hawkwind’ due to a drug arrest In May 1975 whilst on tour in Canada. ‘Motörhead’ would go on to release one of rock’s most popular song, ‘Ace of Spades’ in October 1980. The single would bring the band popularity and immense success, at the time of Lemmy’s death, the single had sold over 208,830 digital copies.

In 2010 a documentary about the icon was released under the name, ‘Lemmy’, and the documentary’s director Greg Oliver has revealed that a new biopic about the singer will be released. After a couple of years in the making, Lemmy fans have been looking forward to the new biopic for a while, with production started early of this year.

The film will follow Lemmy’s life, from his early days when he was Jimi Hendrix’s roadie to his four-year stint in ‘Hawkwind’. It also promises to show the side of Lemmy which existed beneath the hard rocker exterior. Oliver recently had this to say about the biopic in a statement released last year.

“Everything you’ve heard about Lemmy is probably true … not because he was embracing rock n’ roll clichés, but because he was creating them, Marlboro Reds and Jack Daniel’s for breakfast, speed for dinner – all true But behind that steely-eyed façade of Rock’n’Roll was also a compelling, complicated and lion-hearted man who stayed the course and never gave up playing the music that made him happy. We’ve been carefully developing this biopic since 2013, making sure to stay true to Lemmy, Motörhead band members Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee, and all the other folks that played important roles in Lemmy’s life. This will be a film they’ll be proud of.”

The film features a great crew consisting of Andre Relis and Domon Lane as producers, as well as ‘Motörhead’s’ manager, Todd Singerman, working as an executive producer with Steffan Chirazi and written by Medeni Griffiths and Greg Oliver. With a credible source such as Singerman, the biopic is sure to capture all of the mayhem and great music which Lemmy lived by and left for the world.

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat

‘Better Man’ production is being headed by Australian director Michael Gracey, famed for his directorial debut 2017 block buster, ‘The Greatest Showman’. Writing the much-anticipated biopic with Gracey are Oliver Cole and Simon Gleeson. The film will take the audience through Williams career, starting at the beginnings of Williams life, through his Take That days and finally showing his solo career. The film promises to show not just the celebrated points of the singer’s life but also the nitty-gritty parts, thus bringing Williams’ canon to a brand-new audience.

Director Gracey had this to say to the Independent about his new project ‘“As for how we represent Robbie in the film, that bit is top secret” he continues “I want to do this in a really original way. I remember going to the cinema as a kid and there were films that blew me away and made me say as I sat there in the cinema, ‘I’ve never seen this before.’

In the not-too-distant past, back when tamagotchis and rehearsed dance routines ruled the world, Robbie Williams was the face on every school folder. Much like the emergence of groups like the Spice Girls, in the early 90’s boy bands had made a massive comeback. Take That were truly 90’s heartthrobs with singles which remain popular today such as, ‘Back for Good‘ released 27th March 1995.  Williams joined Take That at the young age of 16, and remained in the band through 1990-1995, eventually leaving due to conflicts in the band mostly involving Williams’ alcohol and drug use.

Fans will remember the infamous shots of Williams partying with Oasis at Glastonbury, the event would impact his reputation. At the time Williams was hell bent on launching his solo career whilst occurring legal issues involving contract law. Eventually Williams was able to go solo and free to embrace his new bad-boy image, whilst releasing music that truly encapsulated the start of the Millennium. His first solo single was a cover of George Michael’s classic ‘Freedom’, released 1996 reaching no 2 in the singles charts. Other notable songs from his solo career included, ‘Millennium’, ‘Rock DJ’, ‘Let Me Entertain You‘, famed duet with Nicole Kidman seeing the pair cover the Sinatra song ‘Something Stupid and his 2000 hit duet with Kylie Minogue ‘Kids‘ (Williams has hinted earlier this year that ‘Kids‘ may not be their last duet). In more recent times, Williams eventually reconciled with his bandmates and since 2010 has been an unofficial member although has since hinted at other plans.

The film is said to have been made from countless hours of conversation with the star, it seems that the film will have something for every fan of Williams. Whether they are fan from the 90’s, or know the singer from his earlier work. And judging by Williams scandals and achievements in his career, the biopic is sure to be entertaining.