Online news satire show premieres
SMALL BUT TERRY RIDON, an online news commentary and satire show hosted by Infrawatch PH convenor Terry Ridon was launched on Youtube and Facebook Sunday night. The show is created and produced by lawyer Terry Ridon, director Victor Tagaro, and photojournalist Jes Aznar through Manila Shimbun TV. The pilot episode takes on President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades on health workers despite calling for unity against the coronavirus pandemic in the State of the Nation Address. Mr. Ridon was former chair of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor and former legislator representing Kabataan Partylist. He is currently completing the General Management Program at the Harvard Business School after studying public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. For his work in the 2018 film Yield, Mr. Tagaro was awarded the FAMAS Award for Best Documentary Film and Outstanding Achievement in Editing, and the Gawad Urian Award for Best Documentary. Mr. Aznar is an award-winning photojournalist working with several international publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post and for Getty Images. To view the pilot episode, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_GE_wgSzpY or https://web.facebook.com/smallbutterryridon/videos/605888590070739/.
New HBO series Lovecraft Country debuts Aug. 17
HBO’s new drama series Lovecraft Country debuts at the same time as the US on Monday, Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. exclusively on HBO GO. The episode will air on the same day at 10 p.m. on HBO. New episodes will premiere at the same time every Monday. Based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, the 10-episode series follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he journeys with his childhood friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) on a road trip from Chicago across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams). Their search-and-rescue trip turns into a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and monstrous creatures that could be ripped from an H.P. Lovecraft paperback. Meanwhile, HBO’s drama series Perry Mason has been renewed for a second season. Starring Emmy winner Matthew Rhys, the executive producers of the series include Robert Downey, Jr. and Susan Downey. The penultimate episode of Perry Mason Season 1 debuts next Monday, Aug. 3 at 9 a.m. exclusively on HBO GO and HBO, with a same day encore at 10 p.m. on HBO. The season finale premieres the following Monday, Aug. 10, at 9 a.m. Catch up on previous episodes on HBO GO. Based on characters created by author Erle Stanley Gardner, the drama series follows the origins of American fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason in 1931, Los Angeles. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.
The Steve McQueens release new EP
UNDER Umami Records, jazz quartet The Steve McQueens has released a new six-track EP called Tape Ends which features previously unreleased music from the band’s 2018 TAPE tour where they played shows across Singapore and Japan including the Tokyo Jazz Festival. Tape Ends treads a fine line between jazz, soul, and “all-out chaos,” according to a press release. Explaining the EP’s title, the group says “tape obfuscates, hides. Tape repairs, heals. Tape records, history. Tape ends.” Facing 2020’s tumultuous times with their unpredictable nu-jazz form, the four-piece group is currently penning its next album, The Observer. Slated for release in 2021, The Observer pokes at the culture clash between jazz traditionalists and the new vanguard. Upcoming releases from Umami Records include VANNA’s High Hopes (Ran Nir Remix) on Aug. 14, in which Berlin-based producer-songwriter Ran Nir turns VANNA’s indie-folktronica gem into a three-part story, with the main character as the acoustic guitar line traveling through worlds of hope, relaxation, and longing for change; Dominic Chin’s deeply personal song “Alone” on Aug. 21, in which the singer-songwriter lays bare his struggle with anxiety disorder; and, Blahza’s Bandz on Aug. 28, in which it raps about hustling, minding your own business, and keeping your cool when the chips are down to a trap/west coast/bounce/dirty south beat.
The Itchyworms to hold virtual album launch
THE Itchyworms will be hosting a virtual album launch to celebrate the release of their fifth album, Waiting For The End To Start. A few hours before the nine-track album drops on digital platforms worldwide, the pop-rock outfit is set to debut the songs through an online listening and live commentary party, which will be streamed live via The Itchyworms’ official Facebook page on Aug. 17, (Monday), from 7:30 p.m. onwards. The Itchyworms will perform select cuts from the upcoming release. Waiting For The End To Start was conceptualized and recorded with the members of the band confined in their respective homes during the nationwide lockdown. Thematically, the songs are written as a reflection of their individual and collective experiences during the quarantine period. It also inhabits a more adventurous and relentless approach in terms of production and songwriting. The Itchyworms’ Waiting For The End To Start virtual album launch is presented by Sony Music Philippines, GNN Entertainment, and Linya-Linya.
Barbie Almalbis drops “Umagang Kay Ganda” music video
FILIPINA rock icon Barbie Almalbis hopes to encourage and inspire listeners to rise above the extraordinary times with the official release of “Umagang Kay Ganda,” the third single of her upcoming new album under Sony Music Philippines. “The current situation has made so many of us experience such a profound sense of loss, and it has also given us a rare chance to stop and reassess our lives and consider the things that we really value,” the pop-rock artist said in a statement. “I hope ‘Umagang Kay Ganda’ will be a blessing especially to our frontliners. It is our little way to say thank you for the selflessness that they have continually shown and the sacrifices that they have made to help us get through this together.” The new version of the song conveys the timeless appeal of the original, while exuding a warmer approach in terms of production details. The official release of Almalbis’ latest single comes with an accompanying music video that features scenes of the new normal, and also showcases the heroic deeds of frontliners and several acts of compassion and resilience from ordinary Filipino folks. The music video is also part of Magnolia Dari Creme’s campaign reminding the public that in extraordinary times as in the normal times, tomorrow always brings new chances for a brighter day.
