Alternative Music
Randy Newman Postpones Tour While Recovering from Broken Neck
Oscar- and Grammy-winning songwriter Randy Newman has postponed his upcoming European tour to recover from a broken neck. “Recently, I noticed I was shrinking,” he said in a statement on his website. “People over whom I had towered now towered over me. Could this be payback for having written ‘Short People?’ Turns out, my neck was broken.” He added, “They operated on me successfully, I think. For even now, I look less like an anteater and more like a folk rock artist from the early sixties. But the doctor said I’m not quite ready to tour. I was really looking forward to coming to Europe to perform. I miss performing a great deal and I look forward to a time when I can come. I’m sorry I won’t see you this time but I will see you soon.” Advertisement Related Video Newman’s mos...
Conor Maynard on Reimagining a Whitney Houston Classic and Early Collaborations with Pharrell, Frank Ocean
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Conor Maynard sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about his new reimagining of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” along with his other recent releases. Related Video The English singer-songwriter tells us about lyrically drawing from a recent breakup and learning the life of an independent artist, as well as how taking a few years off of his music career to star in Kinky Boots on Broadway has influenced his vocal techniques. Maynard also takes us into his world of collaborations, how he approaches them, and his early work with Pharrell and Frank Ocean. Advertisement Listen to Conor Maynard discuss his Whitney Ho...
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Announces Spring 2022 U.S. Tour With NITA STRAUSS
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will embark on a U.S. headlining tour in the spring. Support on the trek, which will kick off on April 30 in San Diego, California and end on May 21 in Inwood, West Virginia, will come from Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, and Jared James Nichols. A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will begin on Wednesday, March 2 at 12:00 p.m. local time and end on Thursday, March 3 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code “BBMBLS2022” to access tickets before the general public. General on-sale will be Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m. local time. Strauss said in a statement: “We will be hitting the road at the end of April in support of the almighty BLACK LABEL SOCIETY!!!! Can’t wait to share the ...
GWAR Announces Spring 2022 U.S. Tour With CROWBAR
GWAR will return to the road in North America this spring. The first leg of “The Black Death Rager World Tour” kicks off May 19 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and runs through June 17 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Support on the trek will come from CROWBAR, THE NATIVE HOWL and NEKROGOBLIKON. Tickets go on sale to fan club members this Thursday, March 3 and to the general public this Friday, March 4. GWAR frontman Blothar The Berserker comments on the upcoming tour: “Ah, the cruel spring, when life bursts forth and humans are reminded how dead they are inside! The horrific majesty of GWAR will blow through your town like painted ladies working the block for that rock.” GWAR with CROWBAR, THE NATIVE HOWL, NEKROGOBLIKON: May 19 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere’s* May 20 – St. Lo...
The War To End All Wars – SABATON
RATING: 8.5/10 You might call it impeccable timing. SABATON have long been the metal world’s great guardians of military history, and the underlying message behind the Swedish band’s many tales of armed conflict has always been abundantly clear. As they said themselves online this week: “There has been more than enough bloodshed through history. No need for more.” Current events are impossible to ignore, and so “The War To End All Wars” feels even more poignant than it would have without an insane despot’s murderous campaign unfolding before our eyes. Sadly, we are where we are. But as SABATON have proved repeatedly, there is great inspiration and succor to be drawn from these tales of human derring-do and strength in the face of horror. As with 20...
ALEX LIFESON’s ENVY OF NONE Project Releases ‘Look Inside’ Single
ENVY OF NONE, the new band from Alex Lifeson (RUSH), Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH), Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, will release its self-titled debut album on April 8 via Kscope. The LP’s second single, “Look Inside”, can be streamed below. Lifeson is no stranger to the concept of evolution. As a founding member of RUSH, he’s been able to explore more musical ground than just about any other guitar player out there — taking rock to new progressive heights throughout the decades and always in the most wildly inventive of ways. His influence can be heard on countless bands around the world, from indie shoegaze and math rock to heavy metal and beyond. Over the last few years, Lifeson has been focusing on a new project that, no matter how well-acquainted you are w...
Animal Collective Announce Additional 2022 Tour Dates
Hop into your Time Skiffs and get us to the summer because Animal Collective has expanded their 2022 US tour into June. See the full itinerary below. Previously a 15-city trek along the east coast and midwest, the newly-announced shows take place in May and June and stretch the band’s North American leg to the west. The jaunt now includes stops in Portland, Denver, and Austin as well as The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and The Warfield in San Francisco. The US run now concludes on June 4th in Madison, Wisconsin. Pre-sale for the additional dates begins on Thursday, March 3rd while general public follows on Friday, March 4th. Find your spot in the Collective via Ticketmaster. Advertisement Related Video The new shows also tout Philadelphia rockers Spirit of the Beehive in the supporting slo...
R.I.P. Alan Ladd Jr, Legendary Film Exec Behind Star Wars, Braveheart, Blade Runner Dead at 84
Alan Ladd Jr., the legendary film executive who greenlit Star Wars and produced such films as Braveheart and Blade Runner, has died at the age of 84. Via Variety, his daughter Amanda Ladd-Jones confirmed the news in a Facebook post. “With the heaviest of hearts, we announce that on March 2, 2022, Alan Ladd, Jr. died peacefully at home surrounded by his family,” she wrote. “Words cannot express how deeply he will be missed. His impact on films and filmmaking will live on in his absence.” Born October 22nd, 1937, Ladd Jr. grew up in the shadow of his famous father, the actor Alan Ladd (Shane). While he never became a household name like his dad, his mark on the film industry is undeniable. Advertisement Related Video Ladd Jr. began his career as an agent, workin...
We Took a Moment to Question the Nature of Reality With The Dropout’s William H. Macy
The Dropout is a true-crime story that happened right in front of our eyes, as a young woman named Elizabeth Holmes (played in the Hulu series by Amanda Seyfried) became a Silicon Valley darling with her concept for a blood-testing device that could revolutionize the health care industry — if it worked, that is. One of the first people to decry Holmes as a fraud was Richard Fuisz (William H. Macy), a family friend of the Holmes who took offense at his neighbor’s daughter getting involved in medical technology — his field of expertise — without consulting him. His investigation into Holmes’ work ended up being key to the reveal that her company was raising a billion dollars of funding for fraudulent devices, even while his obsession with exposing Holmes as a fraud coincided with the end of ...
R.I.P. Chuck Criss, Freelance Whales Member Dead at 36
Chuck Criss, a multi-instrumentalist who performed in the indie rock band Freelance Whales, has died by suicide at age 36. News of Chuck’s death was announced by his brother, Darren Criss, on Wednesday. “The last several years were increasingly difficult for Chuck as he struggled to find stability during an unfortunate rough patch in his life,” Criss wrote in a note posted to Instagram. “Despite our very vocal concerns about his well-being, and his protestations that everything was fine, it’s crushing to say now that Chuck clearly had had a severe depression welling up in him for some time, a depression that was only worsened by a lifelong struggle he had with expressing his feelings – a dangerous combination truly outmatched by his all-too-incredible ability to conceal it. Not just f...
Kanye West Buries Pete Davidson Alive in New “Eazy” Video: Watch
After threatening to “beat Pete Davidson’s ass” on his recent single “Eazy,” Kanye West has taken his grudge with his ex-wife’s boyfriend below the surface. In a new music video for The Game collaboration, Kanye kidnaps a claymation version of Davidson and buries him alive. Watch the clip via Instagram below. The black-and-white visual starts off with The Game performing his name-dropping opening verse while sitting atop a casket. Later on, the Compton rapper meets up with his late idol Eazy-E while in claymation form. Then, the claymation Kanye comes into the picture, riding an ATV on the way to snatch up Davidson, who’s just minding his own business. After placing a burlap sack over the SNL star’s head, Kanye ties Davidson to the back of the vehicle and rides off into the desert. There, ...
Barrie Shares New Song “Concrete”: Stream
Barrie has previewed her new album Barbara with a new single called “Concrete,” just in time for her upcoming world tour. Listen to the song and check out her forthcoming tour dates below. Warm with pulsating, reverb-heavy synths and Barrie Lindsey’s gentle voice, “Concrete” builds a shimmering soundscape while remaining relatively subdued. In a statement, the artist acknowledged this juxtaposition, touching on the awkward process of coming into your own. “[“Concrete”] is about taking the time and energy to figure out who you are. Learning to take up space and be yourself, unapologetically,” Barrie said. “This process can feel selfish and even sinister, depending on how you are conditioned socially… but the major modulation in the final chorus is about finding power and confidence in ...
