BLACK STONE CHERRY bassist Jon Lawhon has told MisplacedStraws.com that he and his bandmates make a conscious effort to not get involved in politics when it comes to their music and public statements. “We try our absolute best to stay non-political,” he said. “We, of course, all have our political views. Every person in the world does. “I’ll be honest with you — as of right now, this is the first time — and I’m not gonna tell you which way or the other; I won’t — but this is the first time in the band’s career that we’ve all been on the same pages as to who we feel should be voted for,” he continued. “First time in our career. It’s never been, like, ‘I’m gonna beat you up if you like this guy,’ and, &...
PAPA ROACH recently entered a studio in Southern California to begin writing and recording material for the follow-up to last year’s “Who Do You Trust?” album. Earlier today, the quartet uploaded a short video from the studio dubbed “Papa Roach – Live From The Bubble Pt. 1” and included the following message: “It’s 2020 and like all bands, we had to cancel massive tours, so we’re taking this opportunity to get in the studio and write new music together. We all got tested and quarantined ourselves in ‘the bubble’ to write our next album.” Last month, PAPA ROACH singer Jacoby Shaddix spoke to Shroom of the WEBN radio station about the musical direction of the band’s new material. He said: “This stuff is fire....
RATING: 9/10 The MOTÖRHEAD camp first opened the doors to the band’s archives in a spectacular way with the “1979” deluxe box set. The collection celebrated the 40th anniversary of the release of the seminal classics, “Overkill” and “Bomber”, but the real meat of the package that justified double-dipping on those albums one more time was a deep dive into previously unreleased archival live performances showcasing a trio that was already showing the confidence that comes with taking over the world. The newly released “Ace of Spades” 40th anniversary deluxe box set is another exhaustive look at the peak powers of Lemmy Kilmister, Fast Eddie Clarke, and Philthy Animal Taylor. The main record at the center of the celebration remains as time...
In a new interview with the “Three Sides Of The Coin” podcast, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked how he and his bandmates have managed to keep the group together for five decades. He responded (see video below): “It’s been tough. It’s no different to KISS. Everybody has their ups and downs, especially bands that have had the great joy and incredible fan support. Because, as Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] said to me many, many years ago, ‘Without your fans, you’ve got nothing,’ and that’s a fact. So the music is what represents you; the music is what it’s all about. And as difficult as those times are when you do have a change in the lineup, the music is still there. That’s your reference point, and that’...
Out of all the people to debate the relevancy of Nirvana in the modern day, perhaps nobody’s as fit to do so as Garbage drummer Butch Vig. He produced the band’s breakout album, Nevermind, back in 1991, but even he doubts the grunge icons would have the similar type of “cultural impact” today. “I think it would be tough to repeat that zeitgeist moment,” Vig told NME. “If Nevermind came out this week, despite being a great record, it would not have the same cultural impact. It was perfect timing coming out when there was a shift in music and it felt like a revolution. I can see that happening again, but not in the same way.” Vig’s opinion isn’t meant as a slight to Nirvana, of course. If anything, it’s a comment on how much the industry has changed since then. Which is why he’s so...
The Pitch: Writer and and director Zoe Lister-Jones returns with the long-awaited sequel to 1996’s The Craft. Similar to its predecessor, this story follows three teen witches looking for a fourth to complete their circle. Enter new girl in town, Lily (Cailee Spaeny), whose mother (Michelle Monaghan) has just moved in with her new boyfriend (David Duchovny) and his three teenage sons. What begins as a coming-of-age tale eventually transforms into a mystery with ill-defined stakes. When Witches Go Riding: The Craft has a complicated legacy to reckon with seeing how it not only inspired a generation of girls to explore the occult, but also provided important representation in the casting of Rachel True as Rochelle. In more recent years, however, the film has been re-evaluated for its questio...
Comedy and music go hand in hand. Always. Mel Brooks knows how essential this is. He used to be a drummer, after all. Back in his teenage years, he was a student of the great drummer Buddy Rich. There’s a fundamental rhythm to comedy that oftentimes gets overlooked. If the timing of the musicality is off, then the comedy falls flat. That’s why, in so many of Brooks’ films, you will see elements of music. Whether the characters themselves are breaking out into song, or he has composed a title song, or the dialogue itself is particularly snappy and hits you over the head before you even realize what the hell just happened, it’s all in the same family. You cannot have good comedy without some form of music being present. That’s why Mel Brooks is, in some ways, as much a musician as he is a co...
Live Nation Entertainment is facing a renewed lawsuit filed by the family of Katie Dix, a young woman who died following a fatal drug overdose at the 2015 edition of HARD Summer. In a new ruling, Superior Court of Los Angeles County Judge Dan Thomas Oki said a company like Live Nation that plans and operates large music festivals “owes a duty of reasonable care to festival attendees.” According to a report by Pitchfork, who reviewed the case’s legal documents, Oki ruled that Live Nation must now face the suit, which was initially filed back in 2016. The family of Dix, who was 19 years of age at the time of her death, is suing on the grounds that Live Nation demonstrated negligence and breached their duties to protect her from the distribution and inge...
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz Looks like Ice Cube’s claims of the Biden campaign telling him to chill out was not the case at all. Ice Cube has been catching serious heat since he confirmed that the Trump campaign reached out to him, and he did indeed politick with them and helped them craft their “platinum plan” geared towards Black Americans. Ice Cube was immediately praised by the right for his willingness to work with Trump but was dragged up and down on social media before clarifying that he does not endorse the super-spreader in chief. One of Cube’s arguments as to why he entertained Team Trump was because the Biden campaign told him to wait till after the election, and that didn’t sit well with him. Facts: I put out the CWBA. Both parties contacted me. Dems said we’ll addr...
Source: Helen H. Richardson / Getty The younger and most notable sibling of Jamie Foxx, Deondra Dixon, has passed away. On Monday (Oct 26), the iconic actor and singer took to Instagram to share the devastating news of Dixon’s passing, adding that while he knows her spirit is “still alive”, her passing has “shattered his heart to pieces.” “My heart is shattered into a million pieces,” Jamie Foxx wrote. “My beautiful loving sister Deondra has transitioned… I say transitioned because she will always be alive… anyone who knew my sis… knew that she was a bright light.” Despite the news being heartbreaking, Foxx took a moment to share fond memories of his energetic and superstar personality by recalling a story when Deondra Dixon and Chris Brown danced together. “I can’t tell you how many times...
As Hip-Hop continues to mourn the murder of Pop Smoke by bumping his posthumous LP, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, videos for his album cuts remind us that the Brooklyn rapper was bound for a meteoric rise before his life was cut short. For his latest visuals to “Aim For The Moon,” director Oliver Cannon pays homage to fellow Brooklynite, Notorious B.I.G. by using kids who look like Pop and Quavo to perform their verses a la “Sky’s The Limit.” This joint was hella dope. Rest In Power, King. Meanwhile in Chicago, Chief Keef takes to the street and hits up a few venues with his crew and burn tons of trees in his clip to “Lola Bunny.” Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Sadboy Loko, Dom Dirtee featuring Lil Fame and Teflon of M.O.P., and more. POP SMOKE FT. QUAVO –...