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Take That’s Gary Barlow Takes Lead on U.K. Midweek Chart
Steps’ sixth studio album is at No. 2 on the midweek survey, and is the territory’s leader in downloads and vinyl sales so far this week. The reunited pop act has three U.K. No. 1 albums to their name, and their 2017 comeback album Tears on the Dancefloor reached No. 2. Last week’s chart-leader Together at Christmas (Decca) by Michael Ball and Alfie Boe dips 1-3 on the chart blast, while Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts (RCA) opens at No. 4, and is the week’s most streamed album in the U.K. The top five is rounded out by AC/DC’s former leader Power Up (Columbia), down 4-5, while career retrospective sets from ’80s stars Spandau Ballet (40 Years – The Greatest Hits, at No. 6 via Rhino) and Shakin’ Stevens (Singled Out at No. 9 via BMG) are eyeing Top 10 debuts. Dua Lipa is leaping up ...
You Can Win The Chemical Brothers’ Roland TB-03 Synthesizer
Want to own a piece of EDM history? You can now get your hands on a Roland TB-03 synthesizer owned by The Chemical Brothers. The legendary electronic music duo is giving away the synth to raise funds for #ILoveLive, a campaign developed to offer help to live music stage crew workers in the UK who are experiencing the financial pitfalls of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a new campaign published on Crowdfunder, The Chemical Brothers called those workers the “unsung heroes of the live entertainment world” and asserted that the funds raised from the initiative could literally save their lives. “The impact of Covid-19 has been devastating for the whole music industry but particularly for the stage techs, sound engineers, guitar techs, keyboard techs, drum techs,...
TribeXR to Incorporate Beatpork LINK for Virtual Reality DJing
Beatport LINK subscribers will now be able to access their libraries in the virtual realm after a new partnership with TribeXR was announced. For those unfamiliar with the program, TribeXR is a virtual reality DJing platform where players can interact with simulated mixers and create their own DJ sets with nothing but a virtual reality-enabled device. While users can upload their own music for their digital sets, the new partnership will give subscribers instant access to the music platform’s entire library without the need for a storage device as the tracks are streamed from Beatport. The TribeXR program is a one-time purchase of $29.99 while Beatport LINK is a monthly subscription that comes in three packages with a variety of added features. Users who own a virtual rea...
Gaminow and Boltron Team Up for Sun-Kissed House Jam “Don’t Wanna Love You”
Gaminow and Boltron have joined forces for “Don’t Wanna Love You,” a sun-kissed house jam that belongs on the sparkling poolsides we’re all yearning for during the pandemic. Gaminow is composed of Gama and Minow, two dance music producers who have been cutting their teeth in the EDM scene out of Mexico City. They have now teamed up as a duo, tapping fellow young fun Boltron for their new collaborative single. The track features potent piano strikes and airy vocal chops, which make for a summery deep house tune. The warm horns in the chorus only add to the bubbly vibes of the song, which was released on Holy Pig Records, the imprint owned by star Mexican DJ Mr. Pig. You can listen to “Don’t Wanna Love You” in full below via Spotify. ...
35 Great Songs You Probably Didn’t Hear in the Last 35 Years
SPIN has always highlighted the under-heralded, but an uncountable number of amazing songs have fallen through the cracks since the publication’s 1985 launch. It’s hard to scratch the surface in a list of this size, but consider this chronological mixtape a fun attempt. Many of these selections are personal — cherished, semi-obscure tracks that deserve a bigger audience. But in order to cast a wide net, we solicited suggestions from friends, fellow music journalists and musicians (including Sparks and Modest Mouse), who helped make this round-up deeper and more eclectic than it would have been otherwise. From lo-fi pop to hi-fi prog, here are 35 gems you probably missed over the last 35 years. – Ryan Reed Mazarati – “Strawberry Lover” (1986) This Minneapolis funk band is still ...
The Most Influential Artists: #6 2Pac
As part of our 35th anniversary, we’re naming the most influential artists of the past 35 years. Today, we’re at #6. From California, here is 2Pac. CREDIT: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images 2Pac died at 25. He’d only released four albums when the fatal shots ripped through his BMW in Las Vegas. Despite the brevity of his life, Tupac Amaru Shakur lived so many lives at once. Rapper, actor, activist, thug, convict, inmate, martyr—his impact on rap and popular culture remains indelible. Named after a Peruvian revolutionary and born to a Black Panther, 2Pac was almost fated to reject authority and speak for the disenfranchised. His adolescent love of acting and poetry translated to his music. The thespian, poet, and self-proclaimed thug (despite no gang ties) who eventually a...
LACUNA COIL’s CRISTINA SCABBIA Has ‘Nothing Against Religion’ But Says It’s Okay To ‘Question Some Things That Are Not Logical’
In a candid interview with “The Jasta Show”, LACUNA COIL singer Cristina Scabbia — who grew up Roman Catholic in Italy — opened up about her views on religion. She said (see video below): “I have nothing against religion. I think that every person can decide for their lives if religion brings you comfort in a tough moment of your life. If you have lost, for example, someone that you love and you need comfort and you want to believe that this person will be in a different place, in a better place, I will not be the one to tell you what’s wrong. What I don’t understand is when religion literally leads your life and you don’t question some things that are not logical, and you are following rules just because someone told you to follow, but they are making n...
A Whisp Of The Atlantic – SOILWORK
RATING: 8.5/10 Firstly, let’s briskly dispense with the notion that “A Whisp Of The Atlantic” is an EP. The whole concept of EPs has been widely abused in recent years: the fact that this five-track effort lasts roughly nine minutes longer than “Reign in Blood” should push it way past whichever marker one requires for album status. Does it matter? In normal circumstances, probably not. But as this is one of the finest records SOILWORK have made in a long time, it seems a shame to reduce it to borderline stopgap status. In truth, “A Whisp of The Atlantic” would be an EP were it not for its colossal title track. Sixteen minutes in length and easily the boldest and most inventive thing the Swedes have ever recorded, it crams in multiple cherished aspe...
Why AC/DC Waited Two Years To Release ‘Power Up’
In a recent interview with the “My Turning Point” podcast with host Steve Baltin, AC/DC guitarist Angus Young spoke about the band’s decision to sit on its new album, “Power Up”, for more than two years before announcing its existence to the music world. “Well, we all agreed to be hush,” Angus said (hear audio below). “And we’ve done that in the past. You keep it tight till it’s out there in the public. And that’s always been pretty much the approach in the band.” “Power Up” features AC/DC‘s 2020 lineup of Brian Johnson (vocals), Phil Rudd (drums), Cliff Williams (bass), Angus Young (guitar) and Stevie Young (guitar). The LP was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse...
TIM ‘RIPPER’ OWENS Says RONNIE JAMES DIO Hologram Would Be ‘Touring All The Time’ If It Wasn’t Losing Money On The Road
Tim “Ripper” Owens has once again defended the “Dio Returns” tour, which features a hologram of legendary metal singer Ronnie James Dio performing alongside a living backing group consisting, in large part, of Ronnie‘s onetime DIO bandmates. The Dio hologram was created by a company called Eyellusion and made its debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in August 2016 in front of more than 75,000 fans. The Dio hologram production uses audio of Ronnie‘s live performances from throughout his career, with the DIO band playing live, consisting of Craig Goldy on guitar, Simon Wright on drums and Scott Warren on keyboards, along with Bjorn Englen on bass. Also appearing with them are Owens and LYNCH MOB frontman Oni Logan. In an interview with “That Jamieso...
Corey Taylor Stars in Horror Film Bad Candy, Says Slipknot Could Release New Album in 2021
Longtime horror cinephile Corey Taylor has filmed a starring role in the upcoming movie Bad Candy alongside Zach Galligan of Gremlins fame. In addition to discussing the film, Taylor hinted in a separate interview that Slipknot could release their next album in 2021. The movie is structured in the classic horror anthology format. Taylor plays a radio DJ who weaves scary stories to his listeners — a task well-suited for the voice of Slipknot — with his co-host (played by Galligan). In a Creepshow-inspired twist, the stories come to life in graphic reenactments that owe much to the great horror films of yore such as Halloween and, of course, Gremlins. “It’s a pretty cool little horror movie that has a linear story going through it, but it’s really kind of made up of different short...
Billie Eilish Discusses Her Identity Crisis, New Music in “Time Capsule” Interview: Watch
Back in 2017, when only a handful of outlets knew she would become a breakout star, Billie Eilish stopped by Vanity Fair for a video interview. Since then, they’ve invited her back each year to answer the same questions and see how she’s changed — and the 2020 installment of “Time Capsule” might be the best yet, as it sees Eilish touching on her identity crisis, new music she has yet to release, and everything in between. The 27-minute-long video places Eilish’s annual answers side-by-side for easy comparison. The big takeaways? She never wants to stop performing live, and living through a global pandemic where the safest option is staying home has made her all the more aware of that. “I never thought I wouldn’t be able to do shows someday. It’s the one thing I feel like I’ve ever been goo...
