Donald Trump is held in contempt of court for violating a gag order. His current penalty is fines, but the judge has the option of jail time in the future.
According to TMZ, Trump’s fine is $9,000 for nine violations, each costing $1,000. The presiding judge stated, “While $1,000 may suffice in most instances to protect the dignity of the judicial system … it unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the contemnor can easily afford such a fine.”
He added, “Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.”
Previously, Trump blasted the gag order, stating it was “unconstitutional” and the trial was “rigged.”
BREAKING: Donald Trump is in criminal contempt for nine violations of a gag order and has been fined $9,000, one for each, judge Juan Merchan has ruled. https://t.co/oUC3NLMUuZ
The wait is over. Kendrick Lamar finally claps back at Drake with “Euphoria,” the latest volley in the rap titans’ ongoing back-and-forth. Listen to it above.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of April below.
Wilco — The Whole Love Expanded
This past month saw what is essentially the Super Bowl of vinyl: Record Store Day. Artists and labels always come through with great new releases to mark the occasion, many of which you’ll find in this month’s vinyl rundown. First up is The Whole Love Expanded, a 3LP release that includes, along with the base album, alternate mixes, demos, and more.
At The Drive-In’s In/Casino/Out has long been out of print, so leave it to Record Store Day to bring it back. This edition of the band’s second album is available on purple/green smoke vinyl, but only 3,500 copies were pressed.
Fred Again.. “released” USB in 2022, but that’s also not necessarily completely true, in that the project is constantly evolving with new songs being added on a regular basis. Well, the project as it stands right now is getting a vinyl release, and he’s pulling all the stops with a lovely “specialist spot reflective varnish” on the outer sleeve.
The soundtrack for the 1997 superhero movie Spawn is a real ride, featuring songs by everybody from Metallica to Cypress Hill to Moby. It’s quite the mix and it’s stunning on smokey red vinyl, too. The hard rock mixed with electronic concept was novel in its time, and now acts as a bit of a portal to a simpler (better?) time.
The Daylight EP was a high point for Aesop Rock, featuring production from EL-P, Blockhead, and, of course, Aesop Rock. If you’ve wanted the project on vinyl, a new reissue is the first time the full thing has ever been pressed on vinyl, including the hidden bonus track.
Idol was one of the kings of the ’80s, and his second album, Rebel Yell, was monumental, with the title track enduring as one of his signature songs. As for this new expanded edition of the project (released to mark the album’s 40th anniversary), it comes with eight bonus tracks that include previously unreleased music, original demos, and more.
Sunny Day Real Estate — Diary: Remastered And Expanded Edition
Diary is an undeniable landmark release in emo music, and as the project turns 30 years old, Sunny Day Real Estate has delivered the definitive vinyl edition of it. This “remastered and expanded” version comes with the bonus tracks “8” and “9” (all pressed on pearlescent vinyl), along with newly written liner notes.
UK electronic duo Orbital made their mark with their self-titled 1991 debut album (The Green Album, as it’s also known). Over three decades later, they’ve just dropped the definitive version of it via a 4LP box set. This edition includes two double gatefold LPs featuring remixes and rarities (including unreleased tracks), as well as an exclusive 60-page book documenting the story of the album.
The Eagles’ original stint (ending in 1980, before their 1994 reunion) was one to remember, and it came to an end with The Long Run. The project — led by the Grammy-winning, No. 1 single “Heartache Tonight” — is back in a fancy new run limited to 10,000 copies and pressed on pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl, meaning it’ll sound as good as it ever has.
The zoetrope has been around for well over a century at this point, and yet the visual effect the spinning, seemingly animated images have is still pretty wild to look at today. Blur included one on their new picture disc reissue of Parklife, making it a uncommonly visual way to experience a Britpop classic.
Speaking of Damon Albarn: Last year, Gorillaz brought us all to Cracker Island, and now we have a chance to go back. For Record Store Day, the group shared a deluxe, limited-run vinyl edition of Cracker Island that comes with six tracks that previously weren’t available on physical releases. There’s also a striking new album cover by Jamie Hewlett.
Dwight Yoakam — The Beginnings And Then Some: The Albums Of The ’80s
Closing out with yet another Record Store Day release, Yoakam compiled his first three albums onto this new box set. This limited-edition release includes thirteen rarities and demos from the era, enough fresh material to justify its own disc.
New Orleans soul singer Lucky Daye released his second studio album, Candydrip, in March 2022. Since then, he’s seemingly laid low, only making sporadic appearances such as his guest feature on Victoria Monét’s album Jaguar II. However, late last year, he began to release new music of his own again, starting with the Bruno Mars-penned “That’s You” and following up earlier this month with “HERicane.”
Today, he announced when he’s dropping his next album, Algorithm. It’ll drop in June, a month ahead of his tour for the album, which kicks off on July 11 in San Francisco. Tickets for the Algorithm Tour will go on sale this Friday, May 3 at 10 AM local time, with presale through Citicard starting today. You can find the dates below and more information here.
Lucky Daye: Algorithm Tour Dates
07/11 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
07/13 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
07/14 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
07/17 — Denver, CO @ The Ogden Theatre
07/19 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis presented by Affinity Plus
07/20 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
07/21 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
07/23 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
07/24 — Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
07/26 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
07/27 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
07/28 — Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
07/30 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
07/31 — Toronto, Ontario @ HISTORY
08/02 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre
08/03 — Washington, DC @ The Theater at MGM National Harbor
08/04 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
08/06 — Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston
08/07 — New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
08/09 — Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
08/10 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
08/11 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
08/13 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues Orlando
08/15 — Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
08/16 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
08/17 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore New Orleans
08/20 — Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater
08/21 — Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
08/22 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
08/24 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
08/25 — San Diego, CA @ SOMA
08/27 — Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
08/28 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
Ever since PartyNextDoor announced the release of his fourth album P4, fans have anticipated a possible tour. Today, he announced the dates for his long-awaited Sorry, I’m Outside Tour. The tour will be the Canadian singer’s first since 2018 and kicks off on June 19 in Phoenix, Arizona. Party announced the tour with a scintillating trailer, which you can watch above.
Tickets will be available starting today, with presales running through to the general sale beginning on Friday, May 3 at 10 AM local time. You can find more info here.
PartyNextDoor: Sorry, I’m Outside 2024 Tour Dates
06/19 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
06/21 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
06/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ LIV Nightclub Las Vegas^
06/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
07/1 – Oakland, CA @ The Fox Theater
07/3 – Seattle, WA @ The Paramount Theatre
07/5 – Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum
07/7 – Calgary, AB @ Cowboys Music Festival*
07/9 – Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall
07/12 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
07/14 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
07/15 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
07/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
07/20 – Miami, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach
07/23 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
07/25 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
07/27 – Washington, D.C. @ Broccoli City Festival*
07/30 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
08/6 – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
08/8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
08/11 – Wallingford, CT @ The Dome at Toyota Oakdale Theatre
08/13 – Philadelphia, PA -@The Fillmore
08/15 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
08/18 – Detroit, MI @ Afro Nation Detroit*
^ Hosting date
* Festival date
Earlier this week, Rapsody broke her silence on Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole’s beef. Kendrick originally dropped a guest verse on the Future & Metro Boomin song “Like That” where he took shots at both Cole and Drake. Though Cole was the first to respond he quickly went back on his comments and even went as far as to remove the song he dropped from streaming services entirely. While the focus of the beef has shifted towards Drake especially following Kendrick’s newly released “Euphoria” diss track, fans are still digesting takes on the situation at large.
That includes Rapsody, who has collaborated with both Cole and Kendrick in the past. Most notably, she appears on the song “Complexion (A Zulu Love)” from Kendrick’s album To Pimp A Butterfly. While the album is widely regarded as a masterpiece Cole took shots at the beloved project in his diss track. “It’s one of the greatest albums ever created. It’s one of my favorites of all time, even taking me off it, I feel that way. I thought about that when Cole made his apology. And when he did it, I was like, ‘I would never approach it, going at [Kendrick Lamar’s] discography.’ But the art of war is just, war is war,” she explained. But in the wake of those comments she took issue with some of the ways it was reported on by rap blogs. Check out her newest post criticizing them below.
While it’s unclear specifically which blogs or what angles she takes issue with, Rapsody clearly isn’t happy about the way her comments were reported. “I miss good journalism. Not into the click bait bloggers, podcasters and passive readers” she said in a tweet made earlier this week.
What do you think of Rapsody claiming that the blogs reporting on her comments about Kendrick Lamar were using it as clickbait? Did you see any of her comments being misleadingly reported? Let us know in the comment section below.
According to reports, the Los Angeles Lakers are considering picking Bronny James in the 2024 NBA draft so he may play alongside his father, the legendary LeBron James of the Lakers. Lebron has indicated that he will play wherever his son ends up. To ensure that he stays a Laker, the Lakers may go out on a limb and draft the young prospect. According to reports, LA is open to considering helping LeBron “fulfill his dream” by being able to play with his son.
Bronny James was one of the most highly regarded prospects in the country before he committed to USC last year. However, he missed the first eight games of his rookie season. Bronny, after suffering from cardiac arrest during a workout in the summer, caused him to miss time. Despite having a dismal year statistically and being limited in playing time for most of the 2023–24 season, Bronny made the decision to join the 2024 NBA draft while still keeping the possibility of going back to school open by using the transfer portal. Bronny averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game at USC. Now, he may get a chance in the league if the Lakers decide to draft him.
Bronny James is still a player with a lot of potential. Bronny was hailed as a good defender, facilitator, and shooter coming out of high school. Those skills will hopefully give him a solid opportunity to make it to the NBA one day, even if he does not live up to the massive expectations put on him. LeBron James has one more year with the Lakers and may decide to opt out of his contract using his player option to sign with whatever team selects Bronny.
The Lakers may have to draft Bronny. They cannot afford to lose their best player, and using a pick to keep LeBron in LA might be their best option. The Lakers were just soundly defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. There may be a coaching change about to happen for the Lakers. Much of their future is uncertain. Overall, the Lakers could secure a couple more seasons of LeBron if they draft Bronny.