Alternative Music
Dr. Dre Adds Two Deaf to Super Bowl Halftime Show
Dr. Dre has made the historic move of adding two deaf rappers to this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. The two artists, Sean Forbes and Warren “WaWa” Snipe, will appear alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar on February 13th to sign the big performance. It’s the first time sign language interpreters will be included in the halftime show’s more than 50-year history. “The doors to accessibility are busted wide open with something like this,” Forbes told the Detroit Free Press following the announcement. “So this is very much a full-circle moment, being from Detroit, being part of the Eminem camp –– or even going back to being 12 and listening to N.W.A, Dre, and Snoop on my Walkman…My goal is to get out there, show what we can do, and have fun. And I want to open the doo...
Spotify Sticking with Joe Rogan Despite Past Use of N-Word
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek called Joe Rogan’s past use of racial slurs “incredibly hurtful,” but doubled downed on keeping Rogan’s podcast on the streaming service. In a letter sent to Spotify staff on Sunday (via The Hollywood Reporter), Ek said he does “not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.” Last week, amid a controversy surrounding Rogan’s penchant for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, the singer India.Arie shared a video highlighting 24 instances in which Rogan used the N-word during episodes of his podcast. Advertisement Related Video Spotify quietly removed 70 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience — at Rogan’s request, according to Ek. Rogan also issued ...
GEOFF TATE On Staying In ‘Fighting Shape’ While On The Road: ‘It’s A Full-Time Job’
Former QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Geoff Tate spoke to the 100 FM The Pike radio station about how he keeps his voice strong and stays in shape for his rigorous touring pace of the last few years. “It’s tough,” he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “It really is — trying to achieve some sort of balance, lifestyle that kind of tends towards excess. [Laughs] All the traveling and the different hours of the day or night that you’re awake, time zone changes, living in airports and trains and actually eating in different places to go around the world. Your diet changes all the time, so, yeah, it’s really difficult to sort of gauge all that. I just kind of try to keep it down to something simple, which is portion control. [Laughs] And I have a big appetite — ...
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’s JESSE LEACH Is ‘Getting Used To’ Pandemic-Era Touring But Is Looking Forward To Restrictions ‘Going Away’
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach, whose band kicked off headlining tour with AUGUST BURNS RED on January 28 at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has recorded a new installment of his YouTube tour blog in which he reflected on the first few shows of the trek. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s interesting touring this way, when you’re unable to be sociable, interact with fans and friends and have guests — those little things that, I think, before this pandemic hit we just took for granted and at times didn’t even want them. There are moments when you’re on tour, you’re just happy to just be quiet and be alone. And I still love that and I cherish it for sure, but now that that element has been taken away, if you will, albei...
KORN’s MUNKY: ‘Pop Music Has Evolved Into Something So Synthetic’
KORN guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer has addressed rock’s diminishing commercial profile and ever-decreasing album sales, saying “it comes in waves.” For the past several years, hip-hop has surpassed rock as the most popular genre in the U.S., consistently coming out on top as the largest genre in terms of total consumption, which includes album sales and album-equivalent streaming figures. Munky, who is promoting the new album from KORN, “Requiem”, spoke about rock’s declining popularity in a new interview with Australia’s Wall Of Sound. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Personally, I feel like it doesn’t matter because if it’s good and it’s coming from a real place, they come a-knocking. [Laughs] &...
BUCKCHERRY’s JOSH TODD: ‘I Can’t Stand Getting Tattooed’
In a new interview with Alicia Atout, BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd was asked about his first-ever tattoo, which he got years ago on his left forearm. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It was a really bad decision. It’s here [points to above his left wrist] but I got it covered up. I was really drunk and I was in a tattoo parlor and I picked it off the wall. It was Betty Boop. It was just a stupid, fun tattoo. I was with my friends and got it, and it was a bad choice. I woke up in the morning and I was, like, ‘Fuck, man.’ And I got it covered up when I got serious about tattooing. And that was that. But I think everybody who’s heavily tattooed has one of those stories, for sure.” Todd also spoke about the fact that his body is a flesh canvas f...
Fret Not, Pete Davidson: Kanye West Just Sold His Tank
Good news for Pete Davidson: Kanye West is no longer in possession of his tank. Yes, at some point in the last few years, the rapper had purchased a Ripsaw EV2, a self-described “luxury, high-performance, go-fast super tank” that retails for over half a million dollars. West posed with the tank in a 2020 photoshoot for GQ. It was also featured in his music video for “Closed on Sunday,” where he was seen driving in it with his former mother-in-law, Kris Jenner. TMZ reports that West recently sold the EV2 to David “Heavy D” Sparks and David “Diesel Dave” Kiley of the Discovery reality TV show Diesel Brothers. In an interview with TMZ, Heavy D revealed that after picking up the tank, they discovered that it contains a built-in DVD player that plays a K-pop video on a loop, and they have no id...
Dwayne Johnson Walks Back Support for Joe Rogan Following N-Word Controversy
Taking it back: Dwayne Johnson rescinded his previous support for Joe Rogan on Friday following a video of the podcast host’s frequent use of the n-word going viral. Amid the controversy surrounding Rogan’s penchant for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 on his podcast, which has prompted Neil Young and numerous other artists to pull their music from Spotify, Johnson had initially landed on the side of The Joe Rogan Experience host. The actor previously left a comment of encouragement on Rogan’s Instagram, writing, “Great stuff here brother. Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you.” Advertisement Related Video However, all that changed after he became aware of the former Fear Factor host’s frequent habit of using the racial s...
SLASH Says He Loves Recording And Touring More And Has More Passion For It Now Than He Did When He Started
Ahead of the release of SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS‘ new album, titled “4”, Slash was asked by Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio if he still gets excited in the same way as he used in the lead-up to a new record. The guitarist responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Oh, yeah. I’m a headcase. I probably love this more and have more passion for it even now than I did when I started. It’s something that just is sort of my lifeblood. And a lot of it has to do with the fact that I just love playing, and any kind of vehicle that helps me to be able to achieve that, to be able to play all the time… And the thing about touring is that, for me, is really the best place for me to learn how to play guitar. I can do it at home, but I real...
Resentment is Always Seismic — a final throw of Throes – NAPALM DEATH
RATING: 9.5/10 Countless, revered extreme music acts release their best efforts at the onset of their existence, oftentimes just three albums deep. NAPALM DEATH, however, is aging like a fine wine. The grindcore progenitors released one of their best releases 16 albums into the act’s career with 2020’s “Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism”. The Birmingham bruisers are now poised to release a follow-up mini-album, “Resentment is Always Seismic — a Final Throw of Throes”, and it’s clear that the seasoned veterans are on top of their game and as exciting as ever. “Resentment Is Always Seismic…” is essentially a partner recording to “Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism”. The SLAB! Cover, a stand out, was a bold choice, and...
TIM ‘RIPPER’ OWENS Says He Got COVID-19 Both Before And After He Got Vaccinated
Former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens says that he has contracted coronavirus twice — once before he got the COVID-19 vaccine and once after. The 54-year-old Akron, Ohio-based musician revealed his latest battle with COVID-19 while responding to a tweet from American stand-up comedian Paula Poundstone. After Poundstone wrote, “I’m really enjoying not having COVID. I’m vaxxed, boosted, I try to keep my distance from people, and a wear a KN95 mask. It’s quite pleasant, really.”, Owens chimed in: “Thats awesome, I got covid before I was vaccinated and I got covid after I was vaccinated. Luckily only lost my taste and smell.” Last September, Owens confirmed to Canada’s The Metal Voice that he was vaccinated and “was all ...
EVANESCENCE’s WILL HUNT On Filling In For TOMMY LEE On MÖTLEY CRÜE Tour: ‘There Was An Immense Amount Of Pressure To Pull It Off’
In a new interview with Darren Paltrowitz, host of the “Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz”, EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt reflected on the experience of filling in for Tommy Lee at several MÖTLEY CRÜE shows a decade and a half ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I knew certain songs that I had played or that I grew up practicing in my room. But then they were playing a two-and-a-half-hour set ’cause that was kind of the first reunion. And there were some deep tracks and deep cuts on there that I hadn’t really explored or ever played; like ‘Louder Than Hell’ was one of ’em. I love that song, but I never pulled it apart. I’d never played ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ or ‘Wild Side’, both of which had really...
