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Facelift Turns 30: Musicians Salute Alice in Chains’ Debut Album
“Dark.” That word came up the most as SPIN spoke to nine musicians about Facelift, the groundbreaking debut album from grunge gods Alice in Chains. Thirty years later, it’s the ultimate description for the album’s bleak sound, anchored by the tortured lyricism of frontman Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. While 1992’s Dirt is widely considered Alice in Chains’ masterpiece, 1990’s Facelift introduced the world to Staley’s hypnotic voice and the band’s ominously groovy approach. The album — released this very day, three decades ago — explored somber lyrical themes like death, drugs and censorship. And on classic songs like “Love, Hate, Love,” “Bleed the Freak,” “Sea of Sorrow” and the MTV-endorsed “Man in the Box,” they helped define the ...
The Killers Bring ‘Blowback’ to The Late Show
The Killers’ new album, Imploding the Mirage is finally out today (Aug. 21). And the band celebrated the release by debuting their new single, “Blowback” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night (Aug. 20). Unlike their previous quarantine performances, this one shows the full band, while still socially distanced, back together onstage. As Bobby Olivier pointed out in his SPIN review on the album, this song, along with the rest of the LP, is “an easy bridge to the next arena tour.” Even though it may take a while until we get back to that kind of live event, it was nice to see what the Killers are bringing to the table with “Blowback,” which Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci, Jr., initially shared on the CBS This Morning in April. But now, we get to see the whole group play it, an...
Listen To Twice’s Energetic English Take On ‘More & More’
Global pop sensation Twice has come a long way since they emerged on the Korean reality audition program, Sixteen. Their 2019 world tour included sold-out shows in Los Angeles and Newark, the emotional experience captured in the YouTube Originals documentary series, Twice: Seize the Light. Since the nine-member girl group debuted in 2015, their trajectory has seemed unstoppable, and their mini-album, “More & More” brought a light to fans, lovingly known as Once, when it released earlier this year amidst the coronavirus pandemic. And on Friday (August 21), the group ascended further with an English remake of the collection’s title track, “More & More.” The energetic song is premised on a clapping beat, as the girls sin...
BTS Detonate Their ‘Dynamite’ For An Infectiously Catchy Disco Dream
The wait is over. At long last, BTS‘s new single “Dynamite” is here, complete with a stylishly pastel-infused video. And as you’d expect, as of this writing, the visual already has upwards of 50 million views on YouTube alone — and counting. That feels right for BTS, one of the biggest musical forces on the planet, who load “Dynamite,” their first all-English single, with towers of falsetto hooks and a winning disco rhythm. The funky influence, by the way, is made explicit thanks to a wonderful dance sequence outside an actual discotheque that finds Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook all in period-appropriate, flared-out, ’70s attire. Groovy. The song itself is a blockbuster, not because it’s overstuffed with ideas but because it&#...
THE DOORS: 50th-Anniversary Reissue Of ‘Morrison Hotel’ Due In October
On February 9 of this year, THE DOORS‘ fifth studio album, “Morrison Hotel”, celebrated its 50th anniversary, and since 2020 is absolutely a year that demands as much partying as can be managed in the midst of a pandemic lockdown, Rhino is continuing the celebration on October 9 with the release of a new 50th-anniversary deluxe edition of the album. This 2-CD/1-LP set includes the original album newly remastered by THE DOORS‘ longtime engineer and mixer Bruce Botnick, plus a bonus disc of unreleased studio outtakes, and the original album on 180-gram virgin vinyl…and, yes, of course, the music will also be available from digital and streaming services on the very same day. A sneak preview of the set, a previously unreleased take of “Peace Frog / Blue Sun...
BEHEMOTH Announces ‘In Absentia Dei’ Immersive Livestream Event
Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH have announced “In Absentia Dei”, a groundbreaking immersive livestream spectacular which will broadcast on September 5 from a secret church location in Poland. The event will be streamed in high-definition 4K, with an immersive experience option, allowing viewers to choose from eight different camera angles in the multi-camera shoot or watch the “Director’s Cut.” Tickets for this theatrical extravaganza are available now at www.behemoth.live. Parts of the performance may offend, so the footage is only recommended for fans 18+. Special guests at the event will be mysterious black metal avant gardeists IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, whose set will come from The Slipper Room in New York City. BEHEMOTH frontman and visionary Adam “Ne...
Hear APOCALYPTICA’s Collaboration With HALESTORM’s LZZY HALE On New Single ‘Talk To Me’
Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA have collaborated with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale on their new single, “Talk To Me”. The track, which has just been released digitally, can be streamed below. APOCALYPTICA‘s Eicca Toppinen stated: “After years of friendship, we are more than happy to release a song together with the amazing Lzzy of HALESTORM. “This song has been in our minds for quite some time and we have been waiting for the right moment to finish it, and getting Lzzy to join us and perform in her outstanding way was a dream come true. “We want to thank Lzzy and the whole HALESTORM team for their great work and friendship.” Added Lzzy: “APOCALYPTICA and I have for years talked about doing something together, and the last time I saw Eic...
VIMIC Frontman KALEN CHASE Releases Lyric Video For ‘Let Them Come’ Solo Single
VIMIC frontman Kalen Chase has released the official lyric video for his new solo single, “Let Them Come”. Kalen stated about the track: “‘Let Them Come’ started last year in Nashville when I was tinkering around on my guitar. I tuned my guitar down really low until I got this cello-like sound and my brother Nick Morris — whom I collaborate with a lot — went, ‘What is that?’ to which I responded, ‘I don’t know, but I think it’s good…’ So, the riff for ‘Let Them Come’ happened first, and immediately I thought it had to have a chant. I started humming and eventually that turned into ‘say bye bye to the old ways, old ways.’ The entire song came from this and we pieced it together like Frankenstein. ̶...
Gavin Rossdale on ‘Exhilarating’ Livestream, Rising Above ‘Old Bush’ Comparisons
This should have been a huge summer for Bush. Gavin Rossdale and company were set to release their eighth studio album, The Kingdom, in May, followed by a trek across the U.S. shortly thereafter. Once the pandemic struck, things changed, but it didn’t deter Bush. Their release may have been delayed, but the band found ways to push forward, including in the early pandemic-days when Gavin Rossdale performed on Instagram, and more recently, to celebrate their album release last month. The July 18th event, which came a day after The Kingdom’s release, featured a fully produced gig via live stream, with virtual fan experiences. “It was just exhausting and exhilarating as usual to be back in those [rehearsal] studios,” Rossdale tells SPIN about preparing for the arena-style performance. And it’s...
Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z Drop Inspirational ‘Entrepreneur’: ‘Your Black Vision of the Future’
Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z are flexing their entrepreneurial spirit. At the stroke of midnight, the hip-hop stars dropped the music video for the inspirational “Entrepreneur”, in conjunction with a Time magazine cover package on “The New American Revolution.” “Thank you to Jay, and to every Black queen, king and entrepreneur who made this all happen! This is for you…and your Black vision of the future,” reads a message Pharrell posted on social media. The veteran artist and producer also praised Grammy-winning director Calmatic for “creating such a beautiful video.” The video is loaded with information and case studies, all of which reinforces the underlying message: the game is rigged against so many men and women of color, but the game is winnable. Speaking ahead of the rele...
Maluma Talks Stories Behind 5 Essential Tracks from ‘Papi Juancho’: Exclusive
On Aug. 19, in the thick of the second day of the Democratic National Convention, Maluma became a trending topic on Twitter. His Instagram, a formidable instrument with over 50 million followers, had gone dark. Was it because ex Natalia Barulich was dating footballer Neymar? Or because Neymar dissed Maluma by posting a video of his team singing his new single “Hawái” –a breakup song—on Instagram? Turns out Maluma was simply gathering steam prior to the surprise release of his new album, Papi Juancho, which dropped at midnight Aug. 21. Maluma recorded most of the set during the Covid-imposed lockdown with his longtime producer collaborators and co-writers The Rude Boyz (Kevin ADG and Chan “El Genio”). “All I could do during lockdown in Medellin was work alone in my studio,” Malu...
Nikki Sixx’s SIXX:A.M. Assembles Rock, Country, Metal All-Stars For a Great Cause
“Maybe It’s Time” is part of an industry-wide effort to spotlight National Recovery Month. Nikki Sixx has pulled together an all-star group of artists for a new version of the 2016 SIXX: A.M. song “Maybe It’s Time” in support of National Recovery Month. The Mötley Crüe bassist has roped in Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor, Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott, Brantley Gilbert, Five Finger Death Punch singer Ivan Moody, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, AWOLNATION and Bad Wolves‘ Tommy Vext for a song that will be part of a music industry-wide effort to draw attention to the opioid criss while raising funds for the recovery community. The song’s release on Friday (Aug. 21) is timed to advance September’s National Recovery Month, which ...
