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The Format, the Phoenix-born indie pop band comprised of Nate Reuss (of fun. fame) and Sam Means, are reuniting for three special shows in Phoenix, New York City, and Los Angeles this fall.

The new concerts serve as the duo’s first shows together since performing a surprise acoustic set in Phoenix in early 2020; the band had originally mapped out a reunion tour set for that year, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to their 2020 reunion, the band had not performed a formal live set since the 2007 tour that preceded their breakup in 2008.

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The first of their reunion shows will take place in Phoenix as part of the Arizona State Fair on September 27th, with support from local artists like Sydney Sprague, Astrologer, Jpw & Dad Weed, and more. They’ll then head to New York City for a show at the...

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week Miley Cyrus releases her disco-infused, Pink Floyd-influenced LP Something Beautiful, Lorde bares her truth in a cathartic song from her forthcoming Virgin, and Haim step back into the past with a punchy retro-rocker. Plus, new music from Clipse, Addison Rae, and Santana and Grupo Frontera.

Miley Cyrus, “Easy Lover” (YouTube)

Lorde, “Man of the Year” (YouTube)

Haim, “Take Me Back” (YouTube)

Clipse, “Ace Trumpets” (YouTube)

Addison Rae,...

It’s New Music Friday, and the weekend brings an exciting batch of new albums to stream.

Miley Cyrus is back with her highly-conceptual, Pink Floyd-inspired visual album Something Beautiful, while The National’s Matt Berninger returns for his second solo effort, Get Sunk. Plus, there’s new releases from yeule, Garbage, and Mt. Joy, as well as a collaborative project between Low’s Alan Sparhawk and Trampled by Turtles.

Check out our list of the best new albums to stream today.

Alan Sparhawk (of Low) — Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles

After sharing the experimental White Roses, My God last year, Low’s Alan Sparhawk returns today with a collaborative album made with the folk band Trampled by Turtles. It’s a fitting combination, as both acts emerged from the Duluth, Minnesota area and have shared the stage together dozens of times over the years.

Stream Alan Sparhawk with...

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, love is in the air, even though it’s a month after Valentine’s Day. Chappell Roan goes country as she touts her status as a generous lover, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco get explicit with an Eighties-inspired synth dream about their first date, and Haim return with a poppy quip about how much relationships suck. Plus, new music from Lizzo, Playboi Carti, Lucy Dacus, and more.

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Drake and PartyNextDoor nice up our Valentine’s Day with some moody new love songs, Sabrina Carpenter taps her idol Dolly Parton for a twangy remix, and Addison Rae delivers another cheeky hit. Plus, new music from Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, Sza, Jack Harlow, Lucy Dacus, and more.

Drake, PartyNextDoor, “Something About You” (YouTube)

Sabrina Carpenter, Dolly Parton, “Please Please Please (Remix)” (YouTube)

Addison Rae, “High Fashion” (YouTube)

Selena Gomez,...

After a 13-year break from releasing music as Coconut Records, Jason Schwartzman has returned to his indie rock project, hinting that new music is on the way.

The soft reveal of the project’s revival was made last month, when Schwartzman’s friend and collaborator, Ben Kweller, announced his upcoming album, Cover the Mirrors, with Coconut Records listed as a featured artist on the tracklist.

Then, earlier this week, Schwartzman made like Bob Dylan and joined TikTok, adopting the username @coconutrecordsofficial and posting videos featuring old Coconut Records songs and hashtags like #jasonschwartzman and #nostalgiacore.

One video shows Schwartzman and Kweller on a FaceTime call, with the caption “Writing new Coconut Records on FaceTime be like.” Another video showed a still photo of the two together, with overlaid text reading, “Me and my friend Ben are writing and recording and we learned that if we get 1,000 followers we will be...

Welcome back to Origins, our recurring series that gives artists a space to break down everything that went into their latest release. Today, Ben Kweller takes us through the making of his most recent single, “Optimystic.”

Ben Kweller experienced a parent’s worst nightmare with the sudden death of his 16-year-old son, Dorian Zev, in February 2023. Through his passion for songwriting, however, the Texas musician found he still had a non-physical relationship with Dorian — a discovery that helped carry Kweller through the making of his upcoming album, Cover the Mirrors.

Now, he’s released the music video for the first single “Optimystic,” a bittersweet track that recalls the beginning of his journey through grief. Over guitar riffs that Kweller describes as a “proggy version of the Ramones,” he sings, “Happiness, wanna die, death kiss/ Get high, stay high, close your eyes.”

“‘Optimystic’ in a lot of ways, is me...

Ben Kweller has announced Cover the Mirrors, his first new album since the sudden death of his 16-year-old son in February 2023. It’s out May 30th, 2025, but you can hear the first single, “Optimystic,” below.

Marking the follow-up to 2021’s Circuit Boredom, the 12-track LP was recorded in October 2024 with tourmates Chris Mintz-Plasse (bass) and Ryan Dean (drums). Fellow indie standouts Waxahatchee, Mj Lenderman, and The Flaming Lips contributed to the album.

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“This is the most personal, emotionally raw project I’ve ever worked on,” Kweller said in a statement. “When Dorian died in 2023 I was overcome with the need to make music. I didn’t care what came out of me because it was the only way I could find peace in my earth-shattering grief.”

He continued, “It’s hard not to focus on everything I’ve lost and in the depths of my...

Ben Kweller has a seventh album and a North American tour in the works, a year following the death of his 16-year-son. His latest album, Cover the Mirrors, a 12-track record, will arrive May 30, the singer-songwriter announced Friday.

The album’s release date marks what would have been his late son Dorian Zev Kweller’s 19th birthday. The Austin-based musician called it the “most personal, emotionally raw project” he’s worked on.

“When Dorian died in 2023 I was overcome with the need to make music,” Kweller said in a statement.

The crowd of celebrities, music industry insiders, and media folks that crammed into the New York City club Racket on Thursday evening had every reason to believe they were there to witness a Rolling Stones concert, but it was impossible to be sure at first. The invitation billed the event merely an “album release party” timed to the release of Hackney Diamonds. We were told all phones and smart watches would be placed in pouches, and “armed guards” and “personal security” wouldn’t be allowed in. “Dress cool,” read the invite.

Adam Green will be honored with a new tribute album, dubbed Moping in Style, that features renditions of his solo music from artists including Regina Spektor, Father John Misty, and Jenny Lewis. The project arrives in full December 1st, and as a preview, Org Music and Capitane Records have shared Sean Ono Lennon’s cover of “That Fucking Feeling.”

Best known as one-half of The Moldy Peaches, Green has released 11 solo albums over the past twenty years. The impressive roster on Moping in Style speaks to his influence in the indie rock community: in addition to those aforementioned artists, it boasts The Lemon Twigs, Frankie Cosmos, Lou Barlow, The Lemonheads, The Libertines, and Ben Kweller among its contributors. Pre-orders for the tribute album, which arrives on double LP gatefold and CD, are ongoing.

Ono Lennon completely transforms the title track to Green’s most recent album. While the original, thanks...

Austin, Texas has become one of the biggest live music capitals of the world, with more than 250 clubs, theaters, and arenas—and some of the biggest music festivals in the United States. The Austin City Limits Music Festival in particular serves up a wide array of performances from some of today’s hottest artists across two back-to-back weekends. From 30 Seconds to Mars’s out-of-this-world set to Noah Kahan’s Stick Season birthday celebration, we’ve compiled our favorite moments from weekend two of Acl 2023.

30 Seconds to Mars

Jared Leto’s 30 Seconds to Mars delivered a performance that stole the show on Saturday. The actor-singer’s grand entrance, which saw him leaping from the very top of the stage, set the standard for the weekend. Leto even invited photographers on stage to capture the sea of fans before stepping into the crowd himself, standing on the barricade as the audience lifted him into the air.

If you can’t make it to the Lone Star State this weekend, Hulu will be livestreaming many performances going down at Austin City Limits Festival 2023.

The livestream schedule include sets by Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons, Alanis Morissette, The Lumineers, Hozier, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Maggie Rogers, Noah Kahan, Lil Yachty, Rina Sawayama, Tove Lo, The Breeders, Suki Waterhouse, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Niall Horan, Portugal. the Man, and many more.

The Austin City Limits stream is available to all Hulu subscribers from October 6th-8th. If you’re not currently a subscriber, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial.

Last-minute tickets to Austin City Limits 2023 are still available here.

Austin City Limits Livestream Schedule:

* = All times in Et; channels noted in parentheses

Friday, October 6th:

2:05 Pm – Asleep at the Wheel (1)

2:05 Pm – Devon Gilfillian (2)

2:45 Pm – The Altons (2)

2:55 Pm – The National Parks (1)

3:30 Pm – Nessa Barrett...

The 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival has arrived! One of the top live music events of the entire year, the City Limits Festival starts at 2:05 p.m. Et on Friday, Oct. 6, and you can stream coverage on Hulu. There are some fantastic acts on the schedule this year, with Foo Fighters, The Lumineers, Alanis Morrisette and many others scheduled to appear. You can stream your favorite artists at the Austin City Limits Music Festival with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu.

How to Watch 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival When: Starts Friday, Oct. 6 at 2:05 p.m. Et TV: Hulu Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu 30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com About 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival

Ever since 2002, the Acl Music Festival has offered fans the chance to see some of their favorite musical acts live. The festival takes place over the course of three days,...

Ed Sheeran served up some Philly cheesesteaks between performances on his weekend trip to Philadelphia, following in the spirit of his ongoing “Mathematics Tour” that pairs his massive stadium dates with intimate, theater shows in select cities.

In a decision that kept him neutral in the long-time local rivalry between Geno’s and Pat’s, Sheeran opted to join Sq Philip’s Steaks in South Philadelphia for a surprise afternoon shift on Saturday, where the “Shape of You” singer was taught by brothers-owners Joseph and Philip Baldino about the merits of melted Cheez Whiz, “slabs,” and the difference between “wit” and “witout.”

A crowd formed after Sheeran posted a questionnaire on his Instagram story asking for the “Best” cheesesteak in the city, followed by an address to Philip’s and the promise that “cheesesteaks are on me today.” He later posted a recap of his visit, which kicked off with Sheeran declaring,...

Austin City Limits has revealed its 2023 lineup featuring Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar, Shania Twain, Alanis Morrissette, The 1975, Mumford and Sons, Odesza, and The Lumineers at the top of the bill.

The two weekend festival goes down October 6th-8th and October 13th-15th at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. Other notable acts include Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Maggie Rogers, The Mars Volta, Death Grips, Kali Uchis, M83, Rina Sawayama, Tegan and Sara, The Breeders, The Walkmen, Suki Waterhouse, Ethel Cain, Portugal. the Man, Ben Kweller, and Yves Tumor.

Also confirmed to play are Hozier, Labrinth, 30 Seconds to Mars, Lil Yachty, Tove Lo, Tanya Tucker, Noah Kahan, Jessie Ware, The Revivalists, Bob Moses, Tash Sultana, Little Simz, Chromeo, Amaarae, GloRilla, Ivan Cornejo, Kevin Kaarl, Eddie Zuko, Gus Dapperton, Sudan Archives, Del Water Gap, Brittney Spencer, Madison Cunningham, Mimi Webb, Julia Wolf, Asleep at the Wheel, Breland, The Teskey Brothers, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram,...

Fresh off of winning his “Thinking Out Loud” copyright trial and dropping a new Disney+ documentary and his fifth studio album, Subtract, in the same week, Ed Sheeran is gearing up to hit the road this year in support of his new music.

Buy Ed Sheeran Tickets at Vivid Seats

Inspired by the mathematical theme of his latest album title, the singer-songwriter’s upcoming Subtract Tour dates launch in May and extend through September. And now, fans can buy tickets to the more intimate concerts — as well as the full...

Perhaps inspired by the intimacy of playing solely for a judge and a jury of his peers in the ongoing copyright trial he’s entangled in, Ed Sheeran will hit the road next month to play smaller venues for what he’s dubbed the “ – “ tour. (If you want to say it out loud, Sheeran suggests you pronounce it “Subtract Tour.”) The dates kick off May 19 at Clearwater, Florida’s Ruth Eckerd Hall and run in and around the dates of his “+ – = ÷ x Tour” (in Sheeranese, the “Mathematics Tour”), which finds him playing stadiums.

Ed Sheeran has announced a series of intimate theater shows, which will take place amid his upcoming North American stadium tour.

Sheeran is set to kick of his “+ – = ÷ x Tour” beginning next month in Arlington, Texas. In between much larger shows at venues like Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Sheeran will stage more intimate performances at 14 theaters and auditoriums across the US and Canada. Ben Kweller will provide support for the majority of these dates.

For Sheeran’s theater shows, a Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale is set for Tuesday, May 2nd at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Registration is now ongoing through Sunday, April 30th.

Tickets for Sheeran’s upcoming stadium shows can be found here.

Sheeran is set to release his latest album on May 5th. Amid preparations for his upcoming tour, the UK singer has been in and out of court...

Late in February, Ben Kweller and his wife, Liz, lost their 16-year-old son, Dorian Zev, in a tragic car accident. Aspiring to be a musician like his father and recording under the name Zev, Dorian was set to make his live debut at South by Southwest later this month. The entire music community shares in the Kwellers’ sorrow, and mourns the loss of a burgeoning talent and spirited young man.

The Kwellers have launched a GoFundMe page to help create the Dorian Kweller Memorial Fund, with the goal of turning the fund into a 501(c)(3) non-profit to help musicians and skateboarders like Dorian by supporting initiatives within those communities. To show people why the Memorial Fund was started and inspire donations — as well as begin to heal from their own grief — Ben and Liz have penned a personal obituary for their son.

The heartfelt eulogy sheds a light on the kind of person Dorian was,...

Visionary composer, saxophonist and visual artist Wayne Shorter has passed away at the age of 89.

His cause of death remains unknown, however the devoted husband, father and grandfather was surrounded by his loving family in Los Angeles at the time of his transition. He is survived by his wife Carolina, daughters Miyako and Mariana, and newly-born grandson Max.

Prior to his death, Shorter won his 13th Grammy award in February.

Read More: 2023 Grammy Awards: Complete Winners List

During the last few prolific years of his life, the extraordinary musician attained his opera …Iphigenia, written in collaboration with Esperanza Spalding, which played to widespread critical acclaim across the country in 2020, and released his Grammy-winning triple album and graphic novel Emanon in 2018.

“Wayne Shorter, my best friend, left us with courage in his heart, love and compassion for all, and a seeking spirit for the eternal future,” said Herbie Hancock, Shorter’s...

Musician Ben Kweller is mourning the death of his son.

He announced on Instagram Tuesday that his 16-year-old son Dorian Zev Kweller was killed the night before.

Kweller began his post, “There’s no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night.”

Read More: Canadian Actor Gordon Pinsent, Who Starred In ‘Away From Her’, Has Died At 92

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A post shared by Ben Kweller (@benkweller)

“He was only 16 and he was a true legend. Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We’ll never get over him as long as we’re here on earth,” he continued.

The 41-year-old then asked for fans to keep his memory alive by sharing Dorian’s music. The teenager was an aspiring songwriter like his father and was beginning his journey, according to the post.

Ben Kweller has announced the death of his 16-year-old son, Dorian Zev Kweller. Update: Liz Kweller, Ben’s wife and Dorian’s mom, later revealed her son was killed in a car accident.

“There’s no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night,” Ben Kweller wrote in statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday (February 28th). “He was only 16 and he was a true legend. Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We’ll never get over him as long as we’re here on earth. Please keep his spirit alive with your memories and the music he made: @reallyzev.”

Taking after his father, Dorian Zev was an aspiring musician, who released a handful of songs under the name Zev.

“Dorian Zev wrote and recorded songs every day,” his father’s statement continued.

The late rocker and TV/theater composer Adam Schlesinger, who died from complications of Covid-19 in April 2020, will be feted by dozens of musicians and actors in May in an online tribute being produced by Jody Porter, his longtime bandmate in Fountains of Wayne.

Titled “Adam Schlesinger, A Music Celebration, Virtual Show,” the stream will be primarily recorded at New York’s Bowery Electric and go out May 5 at 8 p.m. Et on the Rolling Live platform, with a ticket price of $20 that will benefit MusiCares and the closed host venue itself.

Said Porter, “This is a proper musical send-off for my soul brother with a bunch of talented and groovy guests that would make Adam wince.”

Among the frequent collaborators of Schlesinger’s who’ll appear on the show besides Porter and his band the Berlin Waltz are Taylor Hanson and James Iha, both of his band Tinted Windows,...

The Hi, How Are You Project — the mental health nonprofit inspired by the life and legacy of Daniel Johnston — has shared a previously unreleased clip of Johnston and Jeff Tweedy performing “Walking the Cow.”

The footage comes from the Chicago stop on Johnston’s 2017 farewell tour. At each concert during that run, Johnston was backed by a different group that he had inspired: In New Orleans, it was the Preservation All-Stars, in Portland and Vancouver it was Built to Spill, and at the Vic Theatre in Chicago it was Jeff...

Built to Spill dropped a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Tell Me Now” Friday, off their upcoming LP Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston, out June 12th.

Released off the late cult artist’s 1991 album Artistic Vice, the song gets a more subtle rendition from Built to Spill. “You’ll never know dear, the tears that I cry,” frontman Doug Martsch sings. “I don’t want to wait, girl, ’til the day that I die/Tell me now, oh oh, do you really love me?”

“Tell Me...

Earlier this month, Jeff Tweedy, Sharon Van Etten, and others pledged their support for a new initiative from the Hi, How Are You Project, the mental-health nonprofit inspired by the life and legacy of Daniel Johnston. The initiative was launched to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month in May, and it asks people to do one simple task: “Because mental health matters, I pledge to ask others, ‘Hi How Are You?’ “

The Hi, How Are You Project’s initiative launched with a short video featuring an array of musicians and...

Choosing a life as a touring musician usually means following a path that exists outside of convention: more long drives than white picket fences, more debt than desk jobs. It’s not always easy, but it’s almost always rewarding, a dichotomy that Michaela Anne explores on her new song “By Our Design.” The first release from her forthcoming LP Desert Dove (out September 27th on Yep Roc), “By Our Design” is a gorgeous meditation on picking the road not taken, matching Anne’s rich vocals with wistful strings arranged and played by Kristin Weber.

Al Yankovic can be described in a lot of ways besides "Weird." Most people know that he's a chart-topping singer-songwriter, a director-producer, a top-notch parodist, an author and a die-hard polka enthusiast. Even those who have followed his career closely, however, may have forgotten he was, for a brief moment, the host of a short-lived children's television show.

The Weird Al Show debuted on CBS on September 13, 1997 as part of their Saturday morning lineup. Each episode began with the all important "today's lesson" before viewers were invited into Yankovic's underground...

Ed Sheeran is a big supporter of the acoustic rap cover, so it was only a matter of time before the singer-songwriter slowed down the current frontrunner for Song of the Summer: Fetty Wap's "Trap Queen."

Backed by the Roots, Sheeran's docile take on the energetic hit was filmed backstage at The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and turns the track into pining, crooner gold.

For the televised portion of his Tonight Show appearance, Sheeran and Fallon poked fun at the "cherub-faced troubadour"'s range of surprising covers in...

Ed Sheeran previewed a game-changing new compilation during a sketch on the The Tonight Show Monday night that's sure to be a hit everywhere, from suburban coffee shops to minivans to office building elevators: Ed Sheeran Sings Heavy Metal.

As Jimmy Fallon, playing turtlenecked spokesman Steve Joshua, notes, it's a soft-rocking disc for those who "enjoy the morbid and disturbing themes of heavy metal music, but wish it had a more cheerful, pleasant sound."

Sheeran gamely grabbed his guitar for the bit and plucked out a couple of heavy metal...

Paramount Home Entertainment has released the hit drama Rudderless on DVD, which marks the directorial debut of actor William H. Macy, who also co-stars in the drama. Following its debut at the Sundance Film Festival last year, Rudderless was acquired in a joint venture between Paramount Home Media Distribution and Samuel Goldwyn Films back in April. The film debuted in theaters this past October in limited release, and to celebrate the DVD release, we have a new contest lined up.

Rudderless tells the story of Sam, a father (Billy Crudup) whose life is torn apart by the sudden death of his son. When Sam discovers a box filled with his son's demo tapes and lyrics, his own child's musical talent is a revelation for him. Sam learns each song and eventually musters the will to perform one at a local bar. When Quentin (Anton Yelchin), a young musician in the audience,...

Chicago – Actor William H. Macy’s directorial debut “Rudderless” is a film of open mic songwriting that tackles a recovery from grief with neat lyrics and easy metaphors. Instead of standing out, Macy has provided another sap’s ballad that has the cuteness of “Kumbaya”, one that aims to please the crowd without challenging emotions, only showing them.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

The film drifts on a performance from Crudup that isn’t so spectacular so much as the loudest instrument in the movie’s atmosphere. Crudup certainly acts as to how Macy directs, in an obvious way on a simple background. Fittingly, Crudup’s best moment is not anything during the movie when he is coming out of his shell, but his final performance towards the end of the film - a restrained moment that provides smoother catharsis and emotional recognition, without the obviousness.

Macy’s first endeavor behind the camera is memorable in the wrong ways.

Looking forward to SXSW 2015 already? Here's your first taste of the musical lineup. Jessie Ware (watch her "Say You Love Me" video below), The Dodos and Ben Kweller are just a few of the better-known artists who have been announced for the festival, which will take place in Austin, Texas from March 13-22 (the music portion is slated for March 17-22). Check out the full preliminary list of artists below, and stay tuned for updates as more names are announced. Agoraphobia (Boiro Spain) Agosto (Buenos Aires Argentina) Alvvays (Toronto Canada) Angus & Julia Stone (Sydney Australia) Babes (New Orleans La) Baby In Vain (Copenhagen Denmark) Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires (Birmingham Al) Ballet School (Berlin Germany) Ball Park Music (Sydney Australia) The Barberettes (Seoul South Korea) Courtney Barnett (Melbourne Australia) James Bay (Hitchin UK-england) Be Forest (Pesaro Italy) Big Phony (Seoul South Korea) Bishop Nehru (New York NY) Blacklist Royals...

Chicago – Actor William H. Macy’s directorial debut “Rudderless” is a film of open mic songwriting that tackles a recovery from grief with neat lyrics and easy metaphors. Instead of standing out, Macy has provided another sap’s ballad that has the cuteness of “Kumbaya”, one that aims to please the crowd without challenging emotions, only presenting them.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

“Rudderless” is indeed the story of a man finding his direction, albeit through the music and lyrics of his late son Joshua (Miles Heizer). Two years after losing his son to a school shooting, disillusioned father and ex-husband Sam (Billy Crudup) lives alone on a boat that indeed does not have a rudder. He has abandoned his fancy corporate job to become a house painter. When his ex-wife Emily (Felicity Huffman) gives him the remaining items belonging to their son, Sam discovers a batch of demos made by Josh that no one has ever heard before.

Perched at the top of this week’s flock of specialty film debuts is Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance), a possible Oscar contender starring Michael Keaton. Though it’s a limited release, Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s complex film about a fading action-hero trying to reclaim his mojo on Broadway nevertheless combines elements of a superhero franchise that could tap fans well beyond the art house.

It’s part of yet another big flock of specialty film debuts coming this weekend, including the controversy-minded Sundance award-winner Dear White People, William H. Macy‘s directorial debut Rudderless, Kristen Stewart‘s Camp X-Ray, Jason Schwartzman‘s Listen Up Philip, The Golden Era, Summer Of Blood, and one great revival, Alain Resnais’ 1959 landmark Hiroshima Mon Amour.

To get a sense of Fox Searchlight’s ambitions for Birdman, the film closed the New York Film Festival last weekend to strong reviews, but then...

We sat down with Rudderless star Selena Gomez to get the skinny on those cryptic Instagram posts.

We sat down with Rudderless star Selena Gomez to get the skinny on those cryptic Instagram posts supposedly referring to Justin Bieber.

The on-again, off-again couple have had their relationship struggles spill onto Twitter and Instagram, but Selena warned us not to read too deeply into all of her posts.

News: Did Selena & Bieber Break Up Again

"I don't think about it," Selena said. "Half the time I don't really pay attention to it. I might post something that means I'm super excited about something, but I could post a picture of a water bottle and people will think it's subliminal for something."

Case in point, on October 1, Selena posted "We have to learn the hard way sometimes" before unfollowing Bieber on Instagram, then four days later, Justin posted a picture of the two together along with the caption, "We're...

If you’re the sensitive type, you probably don’t want to invite William H. Macy to your wedding.

When Macy called up EW to talk about his directing debut, the music-heavy Rudderless, he shared that he’s had quite a bit of musical experience of his own. In fact, he and wife Felicity Huffman went through a phase where they would write inappropriate songs to perform at their friends’ weddings. “We would just roast them,” he says, “Mercilessly roast them.”

“He’s a brilliant songwriter,” musician Ben Kweller, who has a supporting role in Rudderless, tells EW. “No one really knows this.

Earlier this year, actor William H. Macy made his feature-length directorial debut with “Rudderless,” a music-based drama starring Billy Crudup, Selena Gomez and Anton Yelchin. About a man (Crudup) trying to forget a past full of tragedy, when he stumbles across a box of unpublished music from his former life, it spurns him on to form a small band. These experiences lead to local success and ultimately changes his life. Lakeshore Records will release the Rudderless – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally on September 30th and on CD October 28, 2014. The album features songs performed by Crudup, Gomez, and the Rudderless band (featuring Crudup, Yelchin, and American indie rocker Ben Kweller). The original score was written by Eef Barzelay of the band Clem Snide, and the songs in the movie were written by Simon Steadman and Charlton Pettus, and indie musician Ben Limpic. “Rudderless” played to strong acclaim earlier this year (read...

Her new movie “Rudderless” is going to be amazing and Selena Gomez just served up a new track called “Hold On” from the official soundtrack.

The “Come and Get It” songstress joined forces with indie artist Ben Kweller for the acoustic ditty, a far cry from her usual dance-infused tendencies.

Gomez and Kweller sing, “Rely on your friends they will get you through, they’re there for you. Hold on and suddenly you’ll find your way, hold on ’til yesterday is far away.”

With regard to the flick, this song deals with the mourning that occurs after losing a loved one so get the tissues on deck!

Stars: Cecile Bagdadi, Joel S. Rice, Ralph Brown, DeAnna Robbins, Sherry Willis-Burch, John Fallon, Terry W. Farren, Timothy L. Raynor, Sam Kilman, Don Hepner, Mary Ellen Withers | Written and Directed by Jimmy Huston

Because of the scrappy, can-do success of Friday the 13th, audiences in cinemas were hit with a deluge of slasher movies, some pretty nifty and others that weren’t so hot. Though in my not so esteemed opinion, even the not so-hot ones had a roughshod, scattershot attitude that elevated them far above the generic knockoffs that this particularly unloved sub-genre would put out on a monthly basis. Some weeks, you’d get Just Before Dawn and others you get Splatter University.

The thing is, because of the profitability of these films, they were in cinemas for one week, made their budgets back and then zoomed out after making a decent killing (pun seriously unintended). They...

If you consider yourself a Final Exam fan, then picking up the Scream Factory Blu-ray is a no-brainer-you’re going to be more than pleased with their efforts on this release. For the uninitiated, Final Exam may or may not earn high marks from you, depending on your level of patience for a whole lot of talking and not much else.

Final Exam starts off promising enough with two college students parked one night who are attacked by a mysterious maniac (even though both actors seem less than terrified by their predicament). The following day, Final Exam then picks up over at Lanier College where we are introduced to a group of students who are in the midst of taking their final exams, so that they can finish up the semester and head home for the summer. Of course, the mysterious killer from Final Exam’s opening arrives on campus...

Why Watch? This short film from Ben Kitnick has the look and feel of a standard music video, but instead of the next Abercrombie model in line for the job, they’ve chosen to follow around Corey Busboom — a man known for his hook suspension work. And, yes, there are images of hook suspension among the blissful images of carnival rides and demolition derbies. Tonally, Heaven is a lost summer. It’s childlike in its wonder, particularly because of the juxtaposition of amusement park antics and the free-wheeling spirit of soft focus, but Busboom brings a severity to it. He’s grizzled and tanned, and his final suspension act is poignant despite the easy ebb of the music. On that front, Pure X’s sound evokes a chillwave feel with Ben Kweller-like vocals and a sunny guitar strum (adding to the lost summer tonality). A smiling aural tranquilizer. The gimmick of blending real life and a...

Rudderless is the first feature film directed by William H. Macy, and it made its premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The movie was incredibly well made, and it tells a very heavy story about a father named Sam who loses his son in a school shooting. His son had left behind a box of original music that he recorded. Sam gets a hold of this music and falls in love with what his son had created. He ends up learning the songs himself, and plays them in a little bar where he is approached by a young man named Quentin who talks Sam into playing the music with him. They end up forming a band that becomes quite popular in the town. There's a secret behind everything that no one knows that throws everything off, and it takes the story to a whole new level of emotional wow.

There comes a time in every festival where the slow burn of overbearing over-dramatic films imbues one with a feeling of general ambivalence. Every once in a while though, a film comes along that slashes it’s way through the thick layers of scar tissue, and penetrates deep into the heart and soul of our beings, reminding us why we started watching films in the first place. Rutterless is once such film.

Filmed in the small rural towns of Oklahoma, Rutterless tells the story of a Sam (Billy Crudup), as he comes to terms with the tragic loss of his son. For two years, Sam ostracizes himself from society, trading his luxury house for a small boat, and moving between the types of odds and ends job that allow him to retain his reclusive lifestyle. It’s not that he’s forgotten about his son, just that he refuses to confront it,...

It’s that time again. The biggest American film festival is upon us, and this year the Ioncinema crew will be descending on Park City with eight feet on the ground and eight eyes on Park City’s various and plentiful screens. Eric Lavallee, Nicholas Bell, Caitlin Coder and I will be covering just about every inch of this year’s festival here at Ioncinema.com, as well as on that ever increasingly vibrant instanews network – Twitter. Be sure to follow @ioncinema and, as stated above, my personal handle @Rectangular_Eye, as we’ll be tweeting throughout the festival with breaking news, reviews, and sightings, all the while trying to keep up with the massive amount of content sure to be coming from this year’s Sundance filmmakers themselves, most of which have their own Twitter accounts and are listed at length below (minus the world & short programs). Whether you...

Part four of our Sundance Twitterverse series features the biggest names in the small world of indie film. Don’t miss writer/director William H. Macy’s well represented band of musically inclined performers from Rudderless (@rudderlessmovie).

Premieres

Cavalry – @CalvaryFilm

Frank – @FrankTheFilm

Director Lenny Abrahamson – @lennyabrahamson

Screenwriter Jon Ronson – @jonronson

Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal – @mgyllenhaal

Hits

Actor Matt Walsh – @mrmattwalsh

Actress Meredith Hagner – @meredithweasel

I Origins – @IOriginsMovie

Writer/Director Mike Cahill – @_mikecahill

Actress Brit Marling – @britmarling

Actress Astrid Bergès-Frisbey – @BergesFrisbey

Actor Steven Yeun – @steveyeun

Laggies – @Laggies_movie

Director Lynn Shelton – @lynnsheltonfilm

Screenwriter Andrea Seigel – @andreaseigel

Actress Chloë Grace Moretz – @ChloeGMoretz

Actor Jeff Garlin – @jeffgarlin

Composer Benjamin Gibbard – @Gibbstack

Cinematographer Ben Kasulke – @BenKasulke

Little Accidents

Actress Elizabeth Banks – @ElizabethBanks

Cinematographer Rachel Morrison – @morrisondp

Love is Strange – @loveisstrangemv

Director Ira Sachs – @irasachs

Actor John Lithgow – @JohnLithgow

Actor Alfred Molina – @OfficialMolina

Actress Marisa Tomei – @marisatomei

Nick Offerman: American Ham

Writer/Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts – @VogtRoberts...

Nashville, Tenn. -- When tornadoes devastated parts of Oklahoma earlier this year, members of Kings of Leon decided to help out the people of the state that's been a huge part of their lives over the years.

They just weren't sure how, and opening up the bank account didn't seem the right way to go.

"It just felt like something we could lend a hand to," Jared Followill said. "We talked about just donating some money. But you know we just all started talking and we realized we'd probably raise more money by doing a show and it would probably be more fun for us than just writing a check. We can go there and be with the people, be with our family. It was one of those things that we didn't realize that it could happen. The people that we work with just made it happen really quickly."

The...

Premiering at Sundance in January, and headed to theaters this summer, "The Way, Way Back" is not only riding high with strong notices out of Park City (including our own) but it's also bringing with it a pretty nice little soundtrack for the coming-of-age tale. The tracklist mixes hip, young actors like electro popsters Young Galaxy and Wild Belle, and the pleasant Ben Kweller, with veterans like Edie Brickell (sans the New Bohemians it seems), Robert Palmer, Mr. Mister and Inxs. Talk about your flashbacks. But overall, it's well rounded with the songs suggesting they've been chosen more to evoke a certain mood, rather than sign up whoever Pitchfork is hot for this month. "The Way, Way Back" soundtrack drops on July 2nd with the movie rolling into theaters starting on July 5th. Details below. [Film Music Reporter] "The Way, Way Back" Soundtrack Tracklisting 1. For the Time Being – Edie Brickell 2. Kyrie – Mr. Mister...

So, "The Lone Ranger" is coming just over the horizon and while Jerry Bruckheimer is remaining cautious about a sequel -- "It’s always up to the audience. If the audience likes the movie then Disney will come to me and we’ll make another or it will be a one-off," he recently said at the Produced By Conference -- there's no doubt that the studio want to make sure every corner of the pop culture sphere is covered. So behold, the wonky soundtrack... Featuring nice dudes like Ben Kweller, Iggy Pop covering an old timey folk song for some reason, respected troubadour Lucinda Williams, and badass Shane MacGowan among others, these are the songs featured in and "inspired by" Gore Verbinski's pirate movie on horses. Sarcasm aside, it's mostly an appropriate batch of names, though we don't exactly see the pre-teens rushing out to grab this so they can listen to Iron & Wine,...