Americas

American Songwriter 3rd Annual Road Ready Talent Contest Semi-Finalists Announced

• American Songwriter revealed its Road Ready Talent Contest semi-finalists.
• The selection spans many original songs and performers.
• Entries are listed alphabetically by song title.

American Songwriter has announced the semi-finalists for its third annual Road Ready Talent Contest, recognising a large and varied group of songwriters, artists and performers. The announcement marks the next stage of the competition and highlights the range of original music submitted from entrants in different locations and…

Lionel Richie Takes Shots At Usher & Chris Brown Tour Onstage In Phoenix

• Lionel Richie mocked Usher and Chris Brown’s tour during a Phoenix concert.
• He contrasted older R&B stars with today’s social-media controversies.
• The article questions the accuracy of Richie’s 40-year comparison.

Lionel Richie joked about Usher and Chris Brown during a concert in Phoenix, comparing their current co-headlining stadium tour with the Commodores’ past work alongside Earth, Wind & Fire. His remarks drew attention because he suggested his generation avoided legal trouble and social-media controversies, implicitly referencing the pair’s…

Why X-Files Creator Chris Carter Cut the Kissing from His New Version of I Want to Believe

• Carter shortened I Want to Believe by seven to eight minutes.
• Romantic Mulder and Scully scenes were removed.
• The new cut prioritises the film’s darker investigation.

Chris Carter has released a director’s cut of 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe, retitled Vrach Frankenshteyn, which is seven to eight minutes shorter than the theatrical version. He removed much of the romantic material between Mulder and Scully because he felt it distracted from the…

Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Weekend

• Bridgers’ return is ambitious, uneven and exhilarating.
• The album blends Americana, glitch-pop and introspective songwriting.
• Clash awards ‘Lost Weekend’ 8/10.

Clash Magazine’s review finds Phoebe Bridgers’ first solo album in six years, ‘Lost Weekend’, ambitious, emotionally intense and ultimately thrilling, though less cohesive than her previous work. The critic says the album matters because it marks her return after the globally acclaimed ‘Punisher’, as she moves from smaller…

Grassley, Whitehouse blast Treasury decision on FinCEN

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) issued a statement Thursday blasting the Treasury Department’s decision to exempt 99 percent of entities from their previous requirement to report beneficial ownership to the department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN. The senators issued a joint statement warning the…

2K launches new studio to build its ‘next blockbuster sports franchise’

• 2K launches Small Axe Studios for a new major sports game.
• Clues suggest it may be a football title.
• Former FIFA leadership adds weight to the speculation.

2K has launched Small Axe Studios, a new AAA development studio intended to create its “next blockbuster sports franchise”. The announcement matters because signs suggest the project could be a football game positioned to compete with EA Sports FC, potentially expanding 2K’s presence in major sports gaming. 2K…

Country Star Pulled Through Windshield After Terrifying Tour Bus Crash

• Colt Ford was injured in a tour bus crash en route to Germany.
• Emergency responders pulled him through the windscreen.
• His crew survived, though forthcoming shows may be affected.

Country artist Colt Ford says he was pulled through the windscreen of his tour bus by emergency responders after it crashed into a ditch while travelling to Germany for a show. He suffered a broken shoulder, while the rest of the crew were reportedly left “a little banged…

Conditions on US aircraft carrier at sea for more than 250 days raise alarms

• Senator demands answers over carrier conditions
• USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed over 250 days
• Defence secretary rejects reports as misrepresented

Concern is growing over reported living conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US aircraft carrier deployed for more than 250 days. The reports are increasing pressure on the Trump administration over the war with Iran, while a Democratic senator has demanded answers from the military; Defence Secretary…