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BAD RELIGION’s GREG GRAFFIN Explains Band’s Longevity
In a new interview with the “Appetite For Distortion” podcast, vocalist Greg Graffin of punk rock veterans BAD RELIGION was asked to explain the band’s enduring popularity. He said (hear audio below): “It’s hard to say, man. I think the music historians need to dig into it a little bit, and the music critics need to pay attention a little bit, because, as a singer-songwriter, whatever, connection with the audience, I tend to be very biased. I try to get out of that bias. My easy answer is because it’s kick-ass music, of course. [Laughs] But that’s not the answer. The answer has to have something to do with there’s optimism in there. Even though we spent our lives questioning things, questioning the currently held view, there’s optimism....
DARK TRANQUILLITY To Release ‘Moment’ Album In November
Swedish melodic death metal band DARK TRANQUILLITY will release their new album, “Moment”, on November 20 via Century Media. The follow-up to 2016’s “Atoma” will be the group’s first LP since the addition of guitarists Chris Amott (ex-ARCH ENEMY) and Johan Reinholdz (ANDROMEDA) to the group’s ranks. The two musicians have been members of DARK TRANQUILLITY‘s touring lineup for the past three years. Founding DARK TRANQUILLITY guitarist Niklas Sundin announced his departure from the band in March, explaining in a statement that he “always enjoyed the creative process more than the performance aspects of being in a band, and the required extensive touring held less and less appeal with every album.” DARK TRANQUILLITY‘s current l...
Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker to Release Two New Albums
Big Thief singer/guitarist Adrianne Lenker released the lead single, “anything,” today (Sept. 4) from her songs album, which will join instrumentals as her fourth and fifth solo albums. The records are due on Oct.23, via 4AD. The video for “Anything” can be seen below. [embedded content] The writing and recording for Songs and instrumentals began in April, following Big Thief’s COVID-related tour cancellation. To escape New York City, Lenker found a cabin in Western Massachusetts to write and record, and it was done all digitally. “As I settled into the cabin over the course of a month, I grew really connected to the space itself,” Lenker said in a statement. “The one-room cabin felt like the inside of an acoustic guitar — it was such a joy to hear the notes reverberate...
Reel 2 Real’s Mark Quashie, Co-Writer of “I Like to Move It,” Shares Statement on Erick Morillo’s Death
Following the news of Erick Morillo‘s death at the age of 49, Trinidadian-born artist Mark Quashie, who performed vocals on the late DJ’s hit song “I Like to Move It” under his Reel 2 Real moniker, has shared an official statement. “I am devastated to learn of Erick’s death,” said Quashie, who performs as The Mad Stuntman. “Even though he has not toured with me for some time, we still keep in touch and had talked recently about doing a new re-mix version of our song. The past month has been unsettling for Erick, to say the least. I offer prayers to his family and fans.” “I Like to Move It” skyrocketed to the top of the charts, emerging as a #1 hit in Belgium, France, Zimbabwe, and the Netherland...
Sade to Release Career-Spanning This Far Vinyl Box Set
Sade will be taking a trip down memory lane by reissuing all six of her albums in a vinyl box set. The This Far collection, which spans the years of 1984 to 2010, is comprised of Diamond Life, Promise, Stronger Than Pride, Love Deluxe, Lovers Rock and Soldier of Love. The group, which features Sade, Stuart Matthewman (saxophone/guitar), Andrew Hale (keyboards), and Paul Spencer Denman (bass), all were involved in the remastering process, which took place at Abbey Road Studios in London. Over the group’s career, they’ve sold 60 million albums worldwide. Soldier of Love, the last Sade LP came in 2010 and the group last released a pair of songs in 2018 with “Flower of the Universe” and “The Big Unknown.” The set will be released on Oct. 9 via Sony Music. The group’s last t...
R.E.M., Hayley Williams, Phoebe Bridgers and More Share Covers for Charity
R.E.M., Hayley Williams, Jamila Woods, Phoebe Bridgers, Angel Olsen and more contributed previously unreleased covers of artists including the Cure and Joni Mitchell to the Good Music To Avert The Collapse Of American Democracy compilation, out this Friday (Sept. 4) and only on Friday. All net proceeds from the set of unheard songs will benefit Fair Fights, a voting rights organization. Pre-order the compilation here. Included in the 40-song set is an unearthed Beverly Glenn-Copeland song from 1977, Williams covering UK kraut-hypnotists Broadcast, a collaboration in progress between Ben Gibbard and Tycho and additional songs from My Morning Jacket, Flume with Eprom, Death Cab for Cutie, Courtney Barnett, Best Coast among many more. Author Dave Eggers executive produced the set, saying...
Finneas Honors Those Who’ve Lost Someone to COVID-19 With ‘What They’ll Say About Us’
As the global pandemic continues around the world with lives lost every day, Finneas has released “What They’ll Say About Us,” a song that aims to offer comfort to those who have lost someone due to COVID-19. Finneas said in a statement about “What They’ll Say About You”: “I wrote this song in June after spending the day at a protest in Downtown LA, filled with hope with the prospect that millions of people were coming together from all over the world to fight against institutionalized racism and inequality. During that time, I’d also been following Amanda Kloots as she documented her husband Nick Cordero’s time in the ICU while in a coma after being admitted for COVID-19. Imagining her sitting by his side, waiting, hopeful for him to wake up, it got me thinking about all the millions of p...
Wilco to Release Deluxe Edition of Summerteeth
Wilco will be releasing deluxe editions of their 1999 album, Summerteeth, on Nov. 6 via Rhino Records. The remastered versions of the band’s third album will come in two formats. The CD version will include a previously unreleased recording of their show at The Boulder Theatre in Colorado on Nov. 1, 1999. Aside from Summerteeth’s original tracklist, it also features songs from 1996’s Being There, 1995’s A.M.and their 1999 LP, Mermaid Avenue. This set will also be available on digital formats and streaming platforms. Summerteeth will also come in a five-LP version that includes unreleased demos, alternates and outtake recordings. Instead of the Colorado gig included in the CD set, one of the LPs will contain a special performance of 1999’s Am Unmitigated Disaster at Tower Records on March 1...
Thurston Moore Shares New 12-Minute Song ‘Siren’
Sonic Youth found Thurston Moore shared his new 12-minute single, “Siren,” along with a short film of a mermaid fantasy as its accompanying visual. The song hails from Moore’s upcoming seventh solo album, By The Fire, which is out on Sept. 25. View a teaser clip of “Siren” below. [embedded content] By The Fire, completed in a London studio in late March of this year, features musicians Deb Googe (My Bloody Valentine) on bass and backing vocals; Jon Leidecker aka ‘Wobbly’ (of Negativland) on electronics; James Sedwards on guitar; and Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, as well as Jem Doulton, alternating on drums. In addition to “Siren,” which you can listen to here, there are other long tunes among the set, including a 14-minute instrumental, “Venus,” and t...
Tricky Talks Grief, Racism, Cathartic New LP Fall to Pieces
Although he’s managed to cloak himself in mystery for the last 30 years of his career, Tricky offered a surprising level of candor and transparency in his must-read 2019 memoir, Hell Is Round the Corner. As he documents in the book, the Bristol-born musician has always used music to escape a reality plagued by misfortune, violence and racism. “Well, it’s funny — I actually learned about racism through white people,” he says, almost incredulously, to SPIN. “And with what America’s going through right now, I wondered if they really wanted a book by the name of Hell Is Round The Corner on their coffee table. I don’t know if that’s good timing, but my manager encouraged me to do it because ‘people will understand you more.’” Tricky’s innovative catalog conveys the depth of his brood...
Hot Chip Revive the Velvet Underground’s ‘Candy Says’
Hot Chip has given The Velvet Underground’s “Candy Says,” off their 1969 album, Boston Tea Party (Live), the electronic treatment. Despite adding more tech to the sound, they stay fairly faithful to the original, which was a song the UK band used to play in their younger years. “Candy Says” is the lead track to announce Hot Chip’s latest compilation, Late Night Tales, dropping Oct. 2. Fever Ray, Nils Frahm and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith have contributed mixes to the record. “We’ve put together a mix of music which ties all of these ideas together and represents some of our favourite [sic] music new and old, some of it directly influential on Hot Chip and some of it music we have discovered and loved, been surprised by and connected to,” band co-founder Alexis Taylor said in a statement. “The...
Metallica Eye Fourth No. 1 In U.K. With ‘S&M2’
The race is on for a U.K. albums chart title, with five new releases jostling for position. Just 3,000 combined sales separate the all-new top five, according to the Official Charts Company, with Bay Area metal veterans Metallica the best chance for the crown. Metallica’s live album S&M2 (Vertigo) leads the midweek chart and could go on to give the band their fourth U.K. No. 1 and first since 2008’s Death Magnetic. Some 2,000 chart sales behind in second place on the Official Chart Update is jazz artist Gregory Porter’s All Rise (Blue Note), the most downloaded album over the Bank Holiday weekend. London hip-hop artist Nines (real name Courtney Freckleton) arrives at No. 3 on the midweek chart with Crabs In A Bucket (Warner Records), the most streamed album in the firs...
