Tom Waits added to ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ voice cast

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Tom Waits has been added to the voice cast of the upcoming stop-motion animation and live-action film Lincoln in the Bardo. The cast of director Duke Johnson’s film also includes Meryl Streep, Colman Domingo, Bill Hader, Tom Hanks and Willem Dafoe.

The screenplay by George Saunders is adapted from his best-selling book that examines the death of the politician’s son, 11-year-old Willie Lincoln.

Waits will voice Jaspar Randall, the ghost of a former dancehall performer and one of the Demons trying to capture Willie Lincoln.

‘Boots on the Ground’ available for pre-order

 Tom Waits’ collaboration with Massive Attack — a 12” ‘eco-conscious’ vinyl pressing titled Boots on the Ground that comes in three different colours (red, white and blue) — should ship somewhere this week and is still available for pre-order. Side A has the title track, side B is a spoken word piece, called The Fly. 

50th anniversary reissue of ‘Small Change’

Last month, ANTI- records announced a reissue of ‘Small Change’ to commemorate it's 50th anniversary. This release doesn't appear to have any extra's or doesn't look like a remastered version, but it does come in ‘Sky Blue 180g’ vinyl and is limited to 1.000 copies (so the US shop says). It ships around October 2nd and is available for pre-order now.  

Tom Waits to star in animation movie ‘Ray Gunn’

According to Animation Scoop, Tom Waits has been added to the voice cast of Ray Gunn, an animated feature directed by Brad Bird. The cast also includes Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson. Ray Gunn will stream in 2026, only on Netflix.

Animation Scoop: 

“Set in Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, the film follows private eye Raymond Gunn as he is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.”

Netflix: 

“Grammy winner and Oscar nominee Tom Waits plays Eyera, Ray’s most trusted compatriot, who also happens to be a one-eyed alien. ‘I've long admired [Tom] on several levels,’ says Bird. ‘He's one of these multi-talents like Scarlett who does music and acts. And he's always interesting on screen. It was a blast to work with him.’”

Extract from ‘The fly’ online

The Tom Waits social media accounts have shared a 'voice note - extract' from The fly, the b-side on the upcoming single in collaboration with Massive Attack Boots on the ground.  The track features Waits’s “trademark droll and sardonic spoken word”.

Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan are donating proceeds from the vinyl sales to local organizations funding essential mental health resources for veterans and vital legal advocacy for immigrant communities; NAMI and VIDAS. 

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Een bericht gedeeld door Tom Waits (@tomwaits)

‘Boots on the ground‘ not on Spotify

Massive Attack have put out a statement the track 'Boots on the ground' is their first music distributed under a “Spotify exemption policy“. The band also says further releases are “scheduled prior and subsequent to the band’s run of live performances, including their forthcoming European tour and summer festival headlines“. 

Alongside the Boots on the ground video, Massive Attack will publish an exclusive spoken word reflection on the themes of the work from novelist Omar El Akkad, author of the novels American War and What Strange Paradise. 

‘Boots on the ground‘ vinyl edition available for pre-order

The Tom Waits - Massive Attack song Boots on the ground will be available on vinyl. You can pre-order it at the Waits store.

 The press release: 

This ‘EcoSonic’ edition will be 180g vinyl in colors, red, white and blue and are packed at random.

Side A:

Boots On The Ground (Tom Waits x Massive Attack collaboration song)

Side B:

The Fly (Tom Waits spoken word track. Exclusive to vinyl.)

Today Massive Attack is sharing their collaboration with Tom Waits, "Boots on the Ground." And sadly for all, their song is never more urgent and timely. The song chronicles the madness and rabid abandonment of mankind to the commands of " The Masters of War”, as Dylan put it. It marks Massive Attack's first new music since 2020 and Waits’s first new recording since the 2011 album, Bad As Me.

The song is available today on streaming platforms, and will be followed by a 12" vinyl release. The 12” edition features "Boots on the Ground" on Side A, with an exclusively Waits B-side titled "The Fly” - a track featuring Waits’s trademark droll and sardonic spoken word.

When asked about the collaboration, Waits said:

"One day many years ago, I accepted an invitation from Massive Attack to collaborate. Their long release delay never worried me. Today, as in all of mankind's yesterdays, guarantees this type of song will never go out of style. Man's folly of fiascos is a feast for the flies. Hence, the B-side of Massive Attack’s upcoming 12 inch "The Fly" features my appreciation for the winged nuisance."

Massive Attack have partnered with Good Neighbor to produce an ‘EcoSonic’ pressing. Manufactured using 100% recycled PET (rPET) rather than traditional PVC, the record is fully recyclable and produced via an energy-efficient injection molding process - a significant shift in record manufacturing. Packaging follows the same approach, with sleeves made from 100% recycled, FSC®-certified paper stock and outer slipcases produced from recycled polyethylene.