Month: January 2022

IRS says processing backlogs will likely delay refunds due to staffing shortages

Post author By Staff
Post date January 11, 2022
No Comments on IRS says processing backlogs will likely delay refunds due to staffing shortages

The Internal Revenue Service said on Monday that acute staffing shortages will likely delay tax refunds and other services this year as the agency prepares for the 2022 tax filing season, which will begin on January 24. IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig told reporters that this year’s window for filing tax returns for the year 2021 will run between Jan. 24 though April 18. Rettig also said that “enormous challenges” faced by the IRS due to severe levels of understaffing will cause delays in many aspects of IRS operations, including sending out refund checks.

Agency officials said they are entering the new filing season with a backlog “several times” the typical level of 1 million unprocessed returns. Staffing issues caused by the pandemic have come in addition to a decade of significant budget cuts to the agency. From 2010 through 2018, IRS funding was cut by 20% in inflation-adjusted dollars, resulting in the elimination of 22% of its staff.

Editorial credit: Rob Crandall / Shutterstock.com

News Daypop

Real estate heir and convicted murderer Robert Durst dies at 78

Post author By Staff
Post date January 11, 2022
No Comments on Real estate heir and convicted murderer Robert Durst dies at 78

California state prison officials announced Monday that real estate heir and convicted murderer Robert Durst has died at age 78 while serving a life sentence. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Durst died of natural causes early Monday while being treated at an outside hospital.

Durst was sentenced in Los Angeles County last year for first-degree murder in the 2000 death of Susan Berman. He had been housed at the California Health Care Facility, a state prison for ailing inmates in Stockton, Calif. Durst died at San Joaquin, Calif., General Hospital; he had been put on a ventilator in October after contracting COVID-19.

Durst was sentenced to life imprisonment for the slaying of Berman, his best friend. Prosecutors accused him of killing Berman to stop her from talking about aiding him in the death of his first wife, Kathleen Durst, who disappeared in 1982 at the age of 29. Kathleen Durst’s body has never been found, but in November authorities in Westchester County, N.Y., charged Durst with second-degree murder in connection with her disappearance. Kathleen Durst’s murder case remained unsolved for decades, and made Durst the subject of a Hollywood film and an HBO documentary. In 2015, he participated and handed over personal recordings for the HBO documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. The tapes were played in California court during his trial for Berman’s death.

Editorial credit: kittirat roekburi / Shutterstock.com

Go Country 105

Maren Morris on co-writing “Circles Around This Town” with Julia Michaels: “I'm a huge fan of hers”

Post author By abookbinder
Post date January 11, 2022
No Comments on Maren Morris on co-writing “Circles Around This Town” with Julia Michaels: “I'm a huge fan of hers”

Maren Morris wasn’t expecting to share her Nashville journey through song, but that’s exactly what happened when she stepped into the room with husband Ryan Hurd, Jimmy Robbins and pop singer-songwriter Julia Michaels to write her new single, “Circles Around This Town.”

Written by the foursome in fall 2020, Maren was brainstorming ideas with Ryan on the front porch of their Nashville home the night before the session when the title “Circles Around This Town” came to her mind.

“I always try to come into a co-write with something, whether it’s a melody or a title or just a concept,” she explains of her process, adding that she was “trying to think of clever ideas to bring Julia Michaels.”

This marked the first time the superstar wrote with Julia, a master pop songwriter who’s had cuts by Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and more. Julia also co-wrote and is featured on Keith Urban‘s 2018 hit, “Coming Home,” and collaborated with Jordan Davis on “Cool Anymore.”

Maren certainly came prepared to the session, offering the phrase that turned into a song that chronicles the drive and passion that brought her to Nashville, and continues to motivate her as she amasses musical success.

“It is very self-referential, I think that I didn’t necessarily go into the write wanting to like dive that deep into it, but I’m so glad that my co-writers pressed me on it,” Maren expresses. “I had never written with Julia before, but I’m a huge fan of hers as a writer and an artist. She’s incredible in both.”

“Circles Around This Town” is the first look at Maren’s upcoming third studio album.

Country Daypop

Paramount+ to air Miranda Lambert’s “The Marfa Tapes” documentary

Post author By Staff
Post date January 11, 2022
No Comments on Paramount+ to air Miranda Lambert’s “The Marfa Tapes” documentary

Miranda Lambert’s documentary about the making of “The Marfa Tapes” will premiere on Paramount+ Jan. 20. “The Marfa Tapes” follows the making of Lambert’s collaboration with Jack Ingram and Jon Randall as they write their Grammy-nominated album. Following the trio for 5 days, the documentary gives viewers an inside look at the making of the 15-song collection and also includes candid interviews with Lambert, Randall and Ingram.

Lambert said in the documentary: “I think you just let your guard down out here a little bit. You’re free to be you. It’s scary, it’s risky and very, very vulnerable and not have any fixes and not have any production, it’s just let the wind blow and the birds and the cows. I feel like we’re taking people on a raw and intimate journey.”

Take a look at a trailer for “The Marfa Tapes” documentary – here.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Country Daypop

The Eagles extend their “Hotel California” tour with new 2022 dates

Post author By Staff
Post date January 11, 2022
No Comments on The Eagles extend their “Hotel California” tour with new 2022 dates

The Eagles have extended their “Hotel California Tour”, adding North American dates that will take them through May 2022. The newly announced leg includes stops in Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Nashville, and points elsewhere. All today, The Eagles will play 22 shows between February and May.

The tour — which originally kicked off in 2020 — features the lineup of Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit alongside Deacon Frey and Vince Gill, playing 1976’s Hotel California in full. Each date promises a performance of the album with the accompaniment of an orchestra and choir, followed by a second set of greatest hits.

Tickets for the new dates go on sale starting Friday, January 14th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. A pre-sale will precede the public on-sale on Thursday, January 13th (use the pre-sale code BELLS).

Editorial credit: Blueee77 / Shutterstock.com

Pop Daypop

SZA shares the music video for “I Hate U”

Post author By Staff
Post date January 11, 2022
No Comments on SZA shares the music video for “I Hate U”

SZA has dropped the video for her hit song “I Hate U.” The single had been released on Soundcloud via an anonymous account in August 2021, and then made its official debut on streaming services last month. “I Hate U” went on to become the most-streamed R&B track by a female artist on Apple Music after only a week on the platform.

LaKeith Stanfield stars in the video clip, which features a picturesque coastal landscape and has Stanfield arguing on the phone, then shown solemnly walking across the beach while he contemplates his relationship.

Check out the video for “I Hate U” – here.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Pop Daypop

Pussycat Dolls say they found out about cancelled tour via Nicole Scherzinger’s social media post

Post author By Staff
Post date January 11, 2022
No Comments on Pussycat Dolls say they found out about cancelled tour via Nicole Scherzinger’s social media post

The cancellation of Pussycat Dolls’ upcoming tour came as quite a surprise to fellow group members Carmit Bachar and Jessica Sutta, who say they first learned of the cancellation via Nicole Scherzinger’s Instagram post.

On Friday, Scherzinger shared the news via a statement on her personal account: “Thank you to everyone who had tickets to see PCD — we are so appreciative of your support and loyalty! With the ever evolving circumstances surrounding the pandemic, I understand the decision that the tour dates had to be cancelled. I have invested a huge amount of time, creative energy and my own finances into bringing this project back to life, and while I’m naturally incredibly saddened by this decision, I am also very proud of what we were able to achieve in the short amount of time we had together before COVID. I can’t put into words the amount of love, admiration and gratitude I have for the other girls in the group, and the fans that have supported us. Stay safe and healthy – Love and blessings.”

However group members Bachar, Sutta, Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt, say they were shocked to hear the news. Sutta and Bachar claimed that Scherzinger did not share with them the decision to end the tour prior to her public statement, saying: “We want to say how incredibly disappointed we are to learn of an announcement made on Instagram that the Pussycat Dolls reunion tour is canceled. As of now, there has been no official notification of that. Either way, it seems as though it’s the end of a chapter to an incredible, life altering experience filled with some awesome memories that we will forever be grateful for. To the fans, we love you. Trust us, this is not the outcome we had hoped for. We wanted it as much as you because we appreciate you all so much and it hurts our hearts you had to wait so long for an answer, but unfortunately it’s out of our control.” They concluded: “Thank you to all the fans that supported us unconditionally and love us to no end. We will always honor the essence of what the true definition of being a Pussycat Doll is. This tour may have come to an end but it is not the end of the Dolls story. We created a sisterhood that will live on…”

The Pussycat Dolls reunited in 2019; however due to the coronavirus pandemic, both the tour and new music were sidelined. In 2021, Scherzinger was also sued by the group’s founder, Robin Antin, for alleged breach of contract.

Editorial credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

Go Country 105

Nashville notes

Dustin Lynch has surpassed his own chart record with “Thinking ‘Bout You.” His duet with MacKenzie Porter has now been at #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart for six weeks, besting his previous four-week streak at #1 with “Small Town Boy” in 2017.

Luke Combs has been tapped as one of the headliners for the 2022 BottleRock Napa Valley festival, which takes place May 27-29 in Napa, California. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

Sam Hunt and Ingrid Andress are teaming up for a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, January 17. It airs on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT.

Go Country 105

“Let's party!”: Mitchell Tenpenny extends his headlining 2 Us It Did Tour

Post author By abookbinder
Post date January 10, 2022
No Comments on “Let's party!”: Mitchell Tenpenny extends his headlining 2 Us It Did Tour

Mitchell Tenpenny is expanding his tour schedule.

On Monday, Mitchell unveiled dates for part two of his 2 Us It Did Tour, adding 13 shows from January through March. The new leg begins January 21 at the ACM Award-nominated venue Grizzly Rose in Denver, with stops in St. Louis, Indianapolis and Rootstown, Ohio, along the way before it wraps up March 5 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Alana Springsteen joins as the opening act.

The tour originally kicked off in 2021, and last year’s dates included Mitchell’s headlining debut at the Ryman Auditorium in his hometown of Nashville. The trek is named after his song “To Us It Did,” from his latest EP, Midtown Diaries, which also features the viral hit “Truth About You.”

“Seeing our fans scream back our songs & especially ‘Truth About You’ was so special on the first half of the tour. I’m so excited to extend this tour and live it again,” Mitchell shares in an Instagram post. “Get your tickets.let’s party!!!!!!”

Visit Mitchell’s website for a full list of dates.

Go Country 105

“This is a special one”: Michael Ray storms to #1 with “Whiskey and Rain”

Post author By abookbinder
Post date January 10, 2022
No Comments on “This is a special one”: Michael Ray storms to #1 with “Whiskey and Rain”

Michael Ray brings “Whiskey and Rain” to #1 at country radio.

The country singer has notched his fourth chart-topping hit with “Whiskey and Rain,” the lead single off his latest album, Higher Education.

The Florida native turned to Instagram to celebrate the accomplishment, posting an emotional video thanking his team, country radio and the fans.

“This is a special one,” Michael said, choking back tears.

Michael continued to express his gratitude in the caption, praising one of his country music idols, Gary Allan.

“Y'all I gotta be real. It's been an emotional one today. Back when we were recording this song I would think about all the things I always loved about @garyallanmusic and the way his music spoke to me and my life growing up in Eustis. I hope this song has been there for you on lonely nights when you've needed it, just like Gary always has been for me,” Michael shares. “Thank y'all for this beautiful ride!!! Thank y'all for loving this song!!! We ain't slowing down!!!”

“Whiskey and Rain” follows Michael’s previous #1 singles, “Kiss You in the Morning,” “Think a Little Less” and “One That Got Away.”