Category: 5. Entertainment

How do you remember Oasis? For me, it’s 1995: the football kits, the bucket hats, Liam Gallagher’s parkas buttoned up to the chin no matter the weather, Noel Gallagher in everyman flannels and polos, wearing beater denim on the red carpet to win an MTV award. It was pure, undiluted lad power.

Now, 14-something years later, Oasis is back. On tour again, being uncharacteristically civil, and looking exactly how I remember them. For seven nights in a row at a heaving, overcrowded, piss-pint saturated Wembley Stadium—at exactly 8:15 pm on the dot—Oasis have walked on stage straight out of a time capsule.

Noel, surprisingly, has given us the most fit variation. The Chief has stuck to his slim-leg jeans, sneakers, and his mod cut, but cycled through a few shirts. He hasn’t been exactly daring here either. He’s gone with a typical denim shirt, a bomber jacket, and a short-sleeve button-up.

Liam, meanwhile, has leaned so far into the nostalgia, I could practically hear a Gibson ES-355 guitar being smashed. For each appearance, he’s worn the same fit: a khaki Awake NY x Ten C parka, a bucket hat, his regular slim-leg jeans, and his sneakers. Sure, sometimes he takes off the bucket hat, but the consistency has been notable. More than that, it’s been really cool exactly because it looks like the Oasis you remember.

The band knows they’re not on tour to make TikTok content. They’re not on tour for fans to pass out friendship bracelets. Oasis are on tour to recapture a moment, a vibe, a high that fans have been chasing since 2009. On Wednesday night, as I looked out across the crowd, what struck me about the style was the pure sentimentality. Guys in their 40s and 50s, arms around one other, wearing jerseys and bucket hats, even though they’re probably the sweater-and-jeans type. Fans wearing their kit from the ’90s, beat for beat. Adidas Gazelles and Spezials were purchased specifically for the occasion, because your originals were thrown out in 2012. For over 30 years, Oasis have sourced their power from the people, from reminding us that they’re us—kids from working class backgrounds living in council estates, with no money for designer shit—from the idea that you could walk into a pub in Liverpool, in Manchester, in Newcastle, and look like Liam Gallagher without even having to try (or drop a fortune).

For better or for worse, Oasis knew what we wanted from them, and they gave it to us exactly the way we were screaming for. Call it fan service, if you want. Pandering to the kids. But from the opening headbanging noisefuck in “Fuckin’ In the Bushes” to the fireworks going off as the last chords of “Champagne Supernova” ring out, the set list is pure classics. No deep cuts, no “for-the-true-heads” winks. The stage is minimalist. The backing band is original (shout out Bonehead). The crowd is once again in head-to-toe Adidas.

Liam had plenty of time to get a new shtick if he wanted one. But he doesn’t need or want one. Instead, he leans into the mic, hands clasped behind his back, saying maybeee! He wants to wear his parka and his bucket hat, strutting around the stage, flipping off Man United fans.

Here’s the secret ingredient: the fans want that, too. They’re not here for a six-outfit-change, moving set, pyrotechnics show, backup dancer spectacle. They want Oasis, exactly as they remember them. The divine ruckus of 1996 Knebworth suspended in amber, perfectly preserved. Now, as seven nights at Wembley chip away at their resin chamber, we see them as they were in our dreams: parka on, button up implacable, bucket hat shoved low.

Cause you and I? We’re gonna live forever, they promised us. Maybe they meant it.

This story originally appeared on British GQ.

Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach’s drama starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as a divorcing couple engaged in a raging custody battle, won universal acclaim from critics and numerous awards, including six Oscar nominations and one win, for Laura Dern’s barnstorming attorney.

But perhaps the highest honour has just been revealed by the Wall Street Journal, which reports that audio of the central couple screaming at one another has been judged so upsetting it is now being used to deter wolves from attacking livestock.

“I need the wolves to respond and know that, hey, humans are bad,” a US Department of Agriculture district supervisor in Oregon told the WSJ. His teams employ “drone cowhands, whose quadcopters have thermal cameras that can reveal any wolf lurking in the darkness”. The predator is then spotlit and treated to audio blasted over a loudspeaker. Aside from Baumbach-scripted acid insults, tracks include fireworks, gunshots and AC/DC’s Thunderstruck.

The practice is know as “wolf hazing” and is employed rather than culling as grey wolves are on the federal government’s list of endangered species.

Happily, Driver and Johansson’s Academy Award-nominated performances have proved just as impactful for canines as humans.

“Drones were deployed in the Klamath Basin of southern Oregon after 11 cows were killed by wolves there in a 20-day period,” reports the WSJ. “Over the next 85 days, when drones were on patrol, only two were killed.”

Other emotionally volatile high-points in the 2019 film include Driver’s feeling rendition of Steven Sondheim’s Being Alive and Dern’s caustic broadside about the double standards by which mothers and fathers are judged (which found an echo in America Ferrera’s speech in the 2023 film Barbie, which was also co-written by Baumbach). It is not believed either of these moments are also being broadcast to pests.

Marriage Story premiered at the Venice film festival in 2019 and was named on many critics’ best of the year lists, coming second on the Guardian’s year-end roundup.

In his five star review of the film, Peter Bradshaw singled out the “central rage-filled confrontation” for praise. “This does feel theatrical,” he wrote, “but in such a lucid and intelligent way.”

Every day, we’re faced with constant opportunities for stimulation. With 24/7 access to news feeds, emails and social media, many of us find ourselves scrolling endlessly, chasing our next hit of dopamine. But these habits are fuelling our stress – and our brains are begging for a break.

What our brains really need is some much needed time off from concentrating. By not consciously focusing on anything and allowing the mind to drift, this can reduce stress and improve cognitive sharpness.

This can often be easier said than done. But attention restoration theory (Art) can help you learn to give your brain space to drift. While this might sound like a fancy name for doing nothing, the theory is supported by neuroscience.

Attention restoration theory was first put forward by psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in 1989. They theorised that spending time in nature can help to restore focus and attention.

They proposed there are two distinct types of attention: directed attention and undirected attention. Directed attention refers to deliberate concentration – such as studying, navigating through a busy place or posting on social media. Basically, it’s any activity where our brain’s attention is being directed at a specific task.

Undirected attention is when we’re not consciously trying to focus on anything – instead allowing things to gently capture our attention without trying. Think listening to chirping birds or watching leaves gently rustling in the breeze. In these instances, your attention naturally drifts without having to force your focus.

Without time for undirected attention, it’s thought that we experience “attentional fatigue”. This can make it increasingly difficult to focus and concentrate, while distractions become more likely to grab our attention.

In the past, we encountered many situations in our daily lives that we might classify as “boring”. Moments such as waiting for the bus or standing in the supermarket queue. But these dull moments also gave our minds a chance to switch off.

Now, our smartphones give us the opportunity for constant entertainment. Being able to constantly expose ourselves to intense, gripping stimuli offers little mental space for our overworked brains to recover.

But attention restoration theory shows us how important it is to create space for moments that allow our brains to “reset”.

Restoring attention

The origins of Kaplan and Kaplan’s theory can actually be traced back to the 19th century. American psychologist William James was the first to formulate the concept of “voluntary attention” – attention that requires effort. James’ ideas were published against the backdrop of the broader cultural movement of Romanticism, which lauded nature.

Romantic ideas about the restorative power of nature have since been backed by research – with numerous studies showing links between time in nature and lower stress levels, better attention, improvements in mental health, mood and better cognitive function.

The restorative benefits of nature are backed by neuroscience, too. Neuroimaging has shown that activity in the amygdala – the part of the brain associated with stress and anxiety – was reduced when people were exposed to natural environments. But when exposed to urban environments, this activity was not reduced.

Numerous studies have also since backed up Kaplan and Kaplan’s theory that time in nature can help to restore attention and wellbeing. One systematic review of 42 studies found an association with exposure to natural environments and improvements in several aspects of cognitive performance – including attention.

A randomised controlled trial using neuroimaging of the brain found signs of lower stress levels in adults who took a 40-minute walk in a natural environment, compared to participants who walked in an urban environment. The authors concluded that the nature walk facilitated attention restoration.

Research has even shown that as little as ten minutes of undirected attention can result in a measurable uptick in performance on cognitive tests, as well as a reduction in attentional fatigue. Even simply walking on a treadmill while looking at a nature scene can produce this cognitive effect.

Time in nature

There are many ways you can put attention restoration theory to the test on your own. First, find any kind of green space – whether that’s your local park, a river you can sit beside or a forest trail you can hike along. Next, make sure you put your phone and any other distractions away.

Or, when you face boring moments during your day, instead of picking up your phone try seeing the pause as an opportunity to let your mind wander for a bit.

Each of us may find certain environments to be more naturally supportive in allowing us to switch off and disengage the mind. So if while trying to put attention restoration theory into practice you find your brain pulling you back to structured tasks (such as mentally planning your week), this may be sign you should go someplace where it’s easier for your mind to wander.

Whether you’re watching a ladybird crawl across your desk or visiting a vast expanse of nature, allow your attention to be undirected. It’s not laziness, it’s neurological maintenance.

Development of a new James Bond film is underway at Amazon Studios, with the creater of Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight, now attached to write the screenplay, which will be directed by Denis Villeneuve.

The pair have given little away about what to expect from Bond 26. Knight said he wanted to do something “the same but different”, while Villeneuve said he would “honour the tradition” of the franchise. But a look back at how the films have dealt with key elements of Bond shows that following tradition can mean going in many different ways.

Take Bond’s toolbag of gadgets, which have been a part of the James Bond movies since their debut in the 1960s. Over the decades, the films have both leaned into and shifted away from the allure of hi-tech gadgetry in ways that plot key turning points in the franchise.

These peaks and troughs reflect what’s going on in the wider world as well as factors such as the influence of other successful film franchises. So with AI on the minds of many right now, the new film could embrace contemporary themes of technology. But re-booting the franchise when a new lead actor is cast is also often associated with a grittier or “back to basics” approach.

The first few Bond films starring Sean Connery, including Dr No (1962), From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger (1964) feature a smattering of spy technology. But by You Only Live Twice (1967), producers had opted for a space capsule hijack narrative – reflecting the influence of the US-Soviet space race – and a villain’s lair in a hollowed-out volcano.

However, the next entry – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) centred largely on the emotional realism of Bond’s (George Lazenby) courtship and subsequent marriage to Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg). The lesser focus on technology coincided with a new Bond actor – a pattern to be frequently repeated later on in the franchise. But for other reasons, the shift in tone was, perhaps, to be expected.

Bond author Ian Fleming was writing On Her Majesty’s Secret Service at his holiday home – Goldeneye – in Jamaica, while Dr No was being filmed nearby. The book was published on April 1, 1963, the day From Russia With Love began filming (the film was released in October that year). The less gadget-focused approach of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service could be seen as a possible jab by Fleming at what he saw as the cinematic Bond’s growing overreliance on the latest tech.

Journeying back through the franchise, it is not hard to find instances where moments of technological excess are countered almost immediately by a more pared down, character-centred set of priorities.

After On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Connery returned for one further Eon Productions film, Diamonds Are Forever (1971), which, like You Only Live Twice, featured a space-themed narrative. Live And Let Die (1973), Roger Moore’s debut as Bond, is somewhat more down to Earth and was the first film not to feature Bond’s gadgetmaster Q (who is referred to as Major Boothroyd in Dr No).

But a growing reliance on technology can be seen during the 70s Moore films, culminating with Moonraker (1979) – which was heavily influenced by Star Wars (1977) – in which Bond goes into space.

Moore’s follow-up, For Your Eyes Only (1981), was – as that film’s director John Glen noted – a film that went “back to the grass roots of Bond.” The global economic recession that took place between 1980 and 1982 certainly helped support this shift in tone.

For Your Eyes Only had a lower budget than Moonraker, so the filmmakers had to act in a similar way to their leading character, who made innovative use in the film of his shoelaces to climb up a rope on a sheer rock face in Greece.

The last few Roger Moore films have examples of Bond’s complex connection to technology, such as the computer microchip narrative of Moore’s final film A View to a Kill. But the next film, The Living Daylights (1987), was a return to the grittier Bond of the novels – with a focus on classic spycraft. From an action-packed opening in Gibraltar, the narrative moves to Bratislava where Dalton helps a KGB General defect to the west.

When Dalton departed after Licence to Kill (1989), which shows the influence of big-budget 80s Hollywood action movies, the series’ return after a six-year hiatus brought Bond into the information age. The cyberterrorist narrative of GoldenEye (1995), Pierce Brosnan’s debut as Bond, is fully indebted to a broader curiosity surrounding emerging internet sub-cultures.

Brosnan’s final outing, Die Another Day (2002) featured an Aston Martin that could turn invisible, which critics and audiences dismissed as a series nadir. The post-9/11 climate of protector narratives in defence of national security featured an altogether grittier action cinema counting Jason Bourne as its most popular hero. Die Another Day’s invisible Aston Martin and the indelible image of a computer-generated Bond surfing amid digital icebergs did not quite align with this state of post-millennial geopolitics.

Enter Daniel Craig, and the franchise’s emphatic declaration that it was going to do things for real, per the title of a documentary on Craig’s debut Casino Royale (2006). This was a statement of intent, anchored not just to a reduction in computer-generated imagery (CGI) behind-the-scenes, but equally by a turn away from the kinds of excessive technological wizardry that defined earlier instalments.

The absence of Q from Craig’s debut Casino Royale (2006) for the first time since Live and Let Die appeared to confirm a more “back to basics” feel. When the character did finally appear in Craig’s third film Skyfall (2012), Q (now played by Ben Whishaw) remarks to Bond: “Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don’t really go in for that anymore.”

With another reboot on the way, the question now is whether the new film will draw inspiration from real-world technologies and push once more at the limits of technical innovation. Perhaps Villeneuve will exploit his science-fiction credentials finetuned in Arrival (2016), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and his successful Dune films (2021-2024).

But given how contemporary cultural landscape is awash with the threat of AI, maybe the franchise does need to beat a hasty retreat from technology in order to stand out. Either way the filmakers will be able to argue they are sticking to tradition.

Upcoming Episodes To Guest Star Dara Reneé (‘Descendants: The Rise of Red’) and Maia Kealoha (‘Lilo & Stitch’)

Watch the Trailer HERE
New Imagery Available HERE
Download New Poster and Press Materials HERE

Today, Disney Branded Television revealed the official trailer and poster for “Electric Bloom.” The first 13 episodes of the music-driven comedy series will stream Sept. 17 on Disney+, with the remaining episodes hitting Disney+ on Oct. 15. 

Episodes this season will guest star Dara Reneé (“Descendants: The Rise of Red”) as herself, and Maia Kealoha (“Lilo & Stitch”) as Kaia. Disney Channel alums Danielle Fishel (“Boy Meets World”) and Phill Lewis (“The Suite Life of Zack and Cody”) serve as guest directors.  

Synopsis: “Electric Bloom” follows the three members of the now mega-famous pop group Electric Bloom as they look back and tell the story of their band and friendship, starting with the day they all met in high school. The girls go on a journey to becoming the biggest band in the world and the best friends in the universe.

Cast: Lumi Pollack (“The Fallout”) as perfectly put-together Posey, Carmen Sanchez as school rebel Jade, Ruby Marino as quirky and optimistic Tulip and Nathaniel Buescher (“Circuit Breakers”) as class crush and band supporter Lucas. Also joining the main cast in guest roles are J’Adore Elizabeth (Shelly Sharp), Trisha Macaden (Shelly LeBrock), Luke Busey (The Vince), Van Brunelle (Dante), Audrey Grace Marshall (Janine), Leah Mei Gold (Sunny), DaJuan Johnson (Principal Jeffers), Clayton Thomas (Mr. B), Santina Muha (Ms. Mecklenberg), Irene White (Peg), Lennon Parham (Stephanie Bradley) and more.

Credits: Creators Eric Friedman, Alex Fox and Rachel Lewis serve as executive producers along with iconic songwriter Diane Warren and Bahareh Batmang. Warren also writes the majority of the songs for the series, including all songs in the pilot and the theme song. Jody Margolin Hahn directed and executive-produced the pilot.

The four-track “Electric Bloom” EP is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other digital platforms. The “Electric Bloom Original Soundtrack” is set for release Sept. 12 on Walt Disney Records.

Episodes from the first season of “Electric Bloom” are currently airing on Disney Channel.

SOCIAL MEDIA
TikTok: @ElectricBloomHQ | @DisneyChannel | @DisneyPlus
Instagram: @DisneyChannel | @DisneyPlus
Facebook: @DisneyChannel | @DisneyPlus
Threads: @DisneyChannel | @DisneyPlus
YouTube: @disneychannelmusic | @disneyplus
Hashtags: #ElectricBloom

Media Kit: https://press.disneyplus.com/media-kits/electric-bloom  

MEDIA CONTACTS
Disney Branded Television
Cara Freitas
Cara.Freitas@disney.com

Alexis Greenberg
Alexis.Greenberg@disney.com

Anoma only debuted in the summer of last year with the original version of the A1. However, the model is so distinct in the landscape that the brand quickly built hype. Despite the infusion of more design-forward shaped watches, few new ideas are quite as exciting as the A1. That’s especially true in the microbrand scene where brands tend to riff on the classics. Since that first release, Anoma has continued to layer on a couple of exciting new versions. The grey “Slate” variant followed the original in March of this year. The Optical is a big step forward creatively, though, and shows off the versatility of this triangle-shaped watch.

Subtle yet intricate, the A1 Optical’s dial—especially when paired with its rounded triangular case—doesn’t have too much direct competition. At 2,200 GPB (~$2,923) it’s positioned toward the upper end of the microbrand market—as opposed to the high-end independent market inhabited by a brand such as Berneron—but given the thoughtful design, high-touch execution, and significant cost that goes into developing such a piece, the price doesn’t strike one as outrageous. As we’ve said before regarding the A1, there will certainly be those who bristle at the idea of paying $3K for a steel watch without an in-house movement but the value proposition here is really in the design and aesthetics of the watch. And there’s no denying these watches are beautiful.

As a special bonus, the first 300 pieces made, split evenly between the dial colors, will receive a special pen-plotted artwork by optical artist Adam Fuhrer commissioned by Anoma and based on the A1 Optical’s dial design. (After the initial run sell out, Anoma will continue making the A1 Optical in a non-numbered edition.) Just be sure to have your finger hovering on the “BUY” button on August 7th at 10 am ET when orders open, as the brand already has a waiting list 10 times longer than the number of pieces available.

Chappell Roan may have released three new singles since her debut album, but she is now revealing that fans likely won’t get to hear her second full album for “at least five” years.

She spoke to Vogue while on set of the music video for her latest single, “The Subway,” where she said that her “second project doesn’t exist yet.”

Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, was released in September 2023. The album was critically acclaimed and earned six Grammy nominations. She also took home the Grammy for best new artist at the 2025 ceremony.

Despite releasing “The Subway,” “The Giver” and “Good Luck, Babe” after her debut album’s release, Roan said “there is no album” and “no collection of songs.”

“It took me five years to write the first one, and it’s probably going to take at least five to write the next,” she said of her sophomore album. “I’m not that type of writer that can pump it out.”

Roan added that she doesn’t think she makes “good music whenever I force myself to do anything.”

“I see some comments sometimes, like, ‘She’s everywhere except that damn studio,’” she continued. “Even if I was in the studio 12 hours a day, every single day, that does not mean that you would get an album any faster.”

Roan went on to reveal that “The Subway” also “took an annoying amount of time to get just right.” While reflecting on why the writing and producing process took so long, she said, “I just wasn’t ready to put it out yet. It was just too painful. I was just too angry and scared — just about my life — to put it out.”

She’s now she’s in a better place, which she partially credits to staying off of social media. “Socials harm the fuck out of me and my art. I’m not doing that to myself anymore,” she said. “I’ve never written an album where I don’t have Instagram or anything. The album process is purely, only mine. No one on TikTok gets to see it.”

Roan first debuted “The Subway” during her performance at Governors Ball in New York City in June of 2024. However, she didn’t release the song on streaming platforms until July 31.

“I’m very proud of this song & what a journey she has been on,” she wrote on Instagram when she first dropped the track. “I first played it at gov ball when I was painted green as lady liberty and in the past have played new songs live to feel them out.”

She released the Amber Grace Johnson-directed music video on Aug. 1, which showed her making her way through New York City as she looked back on a broken heart on the subway.

Virgin Music Group, the indie distribution arm of Universal Music Group (UMG), is offloading a big chunk of its U.S. physical distribution of CDs and vinyl to Alliance Entertainment’s AMPED distribution company, sources tell Billboard.

Virgin currently distributes labels including ATO, Dirty Hit Records, Sumerian and Fader, along with artists such as Cigarettes After Sex, IDLES, beabadoobee, My Morning Jacket, Bad Omens and Black Pumas. The deal, which a source says is not yet completed, has created a degree of uncertainty for the labels distributed by the two companies, creating worries for label executives about how the new arrangement will work out for their respective labels and artists.

But some of the Virgin labels say the UMG-owned company is a much better digital distributor than physical distributor, and are hopeful that the move to AMPED will therefore prove to be a good one for their businesses.

Still other sources suggest that this move will serve as an enhancement and will expand Virgin’s physical reach, given that Alliance is the largest music wholesaler in the world, servicing more than 1,500 indie retailers and selling to chains and mass merchants while offering fulfillment services to online physical music merchants. The deal will ensure more complete coverage of indie retail within the U.S. and Canada, as well as nontraditional retail locations, according to sources familiar with the deal. Those sources expect the deal to fuel the growth of physical sales in the U.S. and Canada at independent retail for the company’s distributed independent label clients. Reps for both companies did not comment.

Over the last two years, UMG has been expanding and fortifying its indie distribution presence. In September 2022, the company placed its indie distribution arms, Virgin and InGrooves, under the Virgin Music Group banner, led by mTheory founders JT Myers and Nat Pastor. In October 2023, UMG then merged the two distribution companies into one. The following October, it acquired full ownership of [PIAS], which owns some labels and one of the larger European indie distribution companies, and merged it into Virgin Music Group. And in December, UMG followed that up by announcing that through Virgin, it was buying Downtown Music Holdings, which has a suite of music companies that includes two indie distributors, FUGA and CD Baby. That $775 million deal has yet to close, as it faces antitrust scrutiny from governmental regulatory agencies and opposition from some of the big players in the indie label sector.

As for the anticipated new physical distribution channel for Virgin’s domestically distributed indie labels, Billboard estimates that last year in the U.S., Virgin had about $25 million to $30 million in physical sales, based on Luminate data. However, it’s not known if AMPED will be getting all of those sales; AMPED’s parent may already have a share of that physical because Virgin probably only sells to bigger indie retailers directly and relies on one-stop wholesalers like Alliance to sell to smaller indie stores, meaning that for those sales the switch amounts to an internal accounting change within the company. Also, some sources suggest that K-pop releases, which are known to have a huge physical presence, might remain within the Universal system. Some sources estimate that when all the details of the deal and its transition are worked out, Alliance’s AMPED could land anywhere from $20 million to $25 million in sales from the deal.

Alliance Entertainment is the biggest physical music wholesaler in the world; in its annual report last year, it said that about $450 million of its $1.1 billion in revenue came from music. Based on the nine months reported so far this fiscal year, where its music revenue totaled $358 million as of March 31, 2025, Billboard estimates that Alliance will close out the fiscal year with at least $475 million in music revenue. Those results are expected to be disclosed in mid-September.

Within that, sources say AMPED has annual revenue of about $80 million, so it’s conceivable that the addition of physical from the Virgin labels could see the indie distributor generating $100 million in revenue on an annualized basis, while putting parent Alliance’s music revenue at the $500 million mark, regardless of how the company accounts for the sales.