Alternative Rock
GWAR on Dave Grohl Almost Joining the Band: “He Was Holding Us Back”
GWAR have commented on Dave Grohl’s recent revelation that he almost joined the band back in the late ’80s. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Grohl said that he was in the running to become the drummer of the shock metal band around the time he was playing in Washington, D.C. hardcore act Scream and before he joined Nirvana. “At the time, GWAR was a band that would draw like 700 people, right? Which is huge. And then the more I thought about it, am I really gonna invite my uncle to see me play when there’s like fake blood and cum shooting all over the place?” Reached for comment, Blothar the Berserker told Heavy Consequence how it all went down. “Grohl remembers this ALL wrong!” Blothar said. “He used to hang around the track with all the other young punks jacked on gak. This is back ...
David Byrne’s American Utopia Wins Tony Award
David Byrne’s American Utopia was honored with at the 74th annual Tony Awards, which were held at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City on Sunday night. The production was presented with a Special Tony Award, which are given to shows that don’t fall into any of the competitive categories. It marked Byrne’s first time winning a Tony, and leaves him just an Emmy Award away from obtaining EGOT status. (Byrne was nominated at last week’s Emmys, but lost the award for Outstanding Variety Special to Hamilton.) Later on during the Tony Awards, Byrne returned to the stage to perform “Burning Down the House.” Watch the replay below. Advertisement Related Video Based on Byrne’s 2018 album of the same name, American Utopia initially opened in October 2019. On stage, Byrne is joined by ...
Eddie Vedder Forms New Band for Last-Minute Replacement Set at Ohana Fest
After King of Leon were forced to cancel their headlining set at Ohana Festival due to the death of the Followill brothers’ mother, the festival’s founder, Eddie Vedder, stepped in as a last-minute replacement. Joined by a backing band that included Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-Chili Peppers guitarist/current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer, bassist Pino Palladino, Glen Hansard, and Andrew Watt, Vedder performed an 11-song set that leaned heavily on covers and some Pearl Jam staples. After kicking off the set with performances of R.E.M.’s “Drive” and Pearl Jam’s “Long Road,” Vedder offered his condolences by playing KOL’s 2003 track “Molly’s Chambers.” He then offered the first public performance of his new solo single “Long Way,” and was joined by his 17-year-old...
Nirvana “Nevermind Baby” Wants His Naked Image Removed from 30th Anniversary Reissue
Thirty years ago today (September 24th), Nirvana changed the shape of rock to come with their magnum opus, Nevermind, which boasted one of the most iconic album covers of all time. The 1991 grunge landmark is getting an expansive reissue for the occasion, but Spencer Elden — who posed as the swimming naked baby that graces Nevermind‘s cover — wants to leave his genitalia out of the artwork. Last month, Elden sued Kurt Cobain’s estate, the surviving members of Nirvana, and other parties, accusing them of child exploitation. He claimed that his legal guardians didn’t formally consent to his image being used on the album cover. Legal experts have called the case “frivolous” and “offensive” to victims of child pornography. As part of the lawsuit, Elden requested that the image be rem...
30 Years Ago, Nirvana Unleashed the Game-Changing Nevermind
Heavy Consequence contributor Greg Prato is the author of several rock books, including 2009’s Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music. Here, Prato looks back at Nirvana’s groundbreaking 1991 album Nevermind on its 30th anniversary, sharing quotes from his aforementioned book. Few albums have played a major role in changing the direction of rock music. Not only did Nirvana’s Nevermind do just that, it also started a cultural revolution. Upon the release of Nevermind on September 24th, 1991, it seemed like almost immediately, hair metal was pronounced dead, as radio and MTV suddenly embraced likeminded bands hailing from the Seattle area. Beyond the music, young people began adopting “grunge fashion,” while also embracing the more progressive and introspective thinking ...
Weezer’s Pinkerton at 25: The Band Has Moved On, Though We Never May Do the Same
Weezer isn’t giving interviews about Pinkerton for its 25th anniversary. There’s no big press push promoting a deluxe vinyl reissue of the album celebrating its quarter-century of existence. (As of press time, you can’t even buy Pinkerton from the band’s merch store, though it is readily available elsewhere.) This relative silence about an auspicious milestone (which will officially occur on September 24th) for one of their best-loved and most influential records might seem a little odd. But maybe Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, whose intensely personal songwriting drives this 10-song, 34-minute record, doesn’t feel like there’s any advantage to speaking further on the subject. Clearly, the band has moved on; though they took a five-year break after Pinkerton that was, at the time, commonly ...
Laura Jane Grace Shares Surprise EP At War with the Silverfish: Stream
Laura Jane Grace has an affinity for surprises. Almost a year to the day after sharing her last solo album, Stay Alive, the Against Me! powerhouse has offered yet another surprise release with her new EP, At War with the Silverfish, out now via Polyvinyl. Additionally, Grace has also unveiled a run of 2021 tour dates, with more shows to be added soon. At War with the Silverfish‘s seven tracks are more acoustic-driven and pared-down than much of Grace’s previous work, though they’re still coated with the same sense of raw ferocity that’s made her one of the most renowned voices in punk right now. “These are songs of late night madness and loneliness, orphan songs that came wandering in looking to feed like insects,” Grace said of the EP in a press release. Stream At War with the S...
Damon Albarn Shares New Solo Song “Royal Morning Blue”: Stream
In less than two months, Damon Albarn will release his sophomore solo album, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows. Before its arrival on November 12th via Transgressive, the Blur/Gorillaz frontman and mullet sensation has shared yet another single today with “Royal Morning Blue.” Additionally, Albarn has also announced a limited edition CD of the forthcoming album, which will include a “hidden” 20-minute track called “Huldufólk.” Albarn wrote and recorded The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows while holed up in Iceland. From the window above his piano, the musician could see raindrops turn into snowflakes right before his eyes; “Royal Morning Blue” was inspired by this stunning sight. “In all the darkness that we have experienced, that was such a beaut...
alt-J Announce New Album The Dream, Share “U&ME”: Stream
alt-J have announced their new album, The Dream, out February 11th via Canvasback/Infection Music. As a preview, they unveiled “U&ME,” which marks the British outfit’s first new material in four years. They’ve also mapped out an extensive North American tour. The Dream was created in the year following the band’s 2017-2018 world tour in support of their last full-length, RELAXER. According to a press release, the lyrics are partially inspired by “true-crime-inspired stories and tales of Hollywood and the Chateau Marmont.” Pre-orders are ongoing. The album’s lead single, “U&ME,” was written during various soundchecks around the globe, and then recorded with longtime producer Charlie Andrew. The track’s sound and lyrics evoke the best parts of summer as Joe Newman sings, “Summer holi...
illuminati hotties Announce 2022 Headlining Tour
Good news: illuminati hotties spent the past few years making music that’s impossible to stand still to, and soon you will finally be able to dance in person. illuminati hotties has just announced a 2022 co-headlining tour with Fenne Lily that finds the two performing live across North America next spring. Check out the complete list of dates below. Sarah Tudzin, the person behind the indie rock-goes-pop punk project, will hit the road on February 8th for a solo show in Pioneertown, California before taking off for other concerts with Fenne Lily across the US and Canada. Later on, illuminati hotties will wrap up the tour on March 12th in Portland, Oregon. Joining Tudzin and Fenne Lily on tour will be Katy Kirby for the first half of the dates and former Artist of the Month star Pom Pom Squ...
The Wrens’ Kevin Whelan Announces New Album as Aeon Station, Shares “Queens”: Stream
In case you missed it, yesterday The Wrens revealed that, no, they didn’t have an album on the way as many fans had hoped for. However, today we’re getting the details on the next best (?) thing: a solo record by the band’s own bassist/vocalist Kevin Whelan. He just announced he’s taking up the moniker Aeon Station to release his debut full-length. It’s called Observatory and it’s due out December 10th via Sub Pop. Observatory spans 10 tracks in total, and word is it isn’t just Whelan you will hear across the album. As he teased in an interview on Monday, this new LP includes five songs he originally wrote for The Wrens’ follow-up to The Meadowlands and a handful of tracks feature Greg, Whelan’s brother and Wrens bandmate, as well as Jerry MacDonald, the band’s drummer. His wife Mary ...
Tired of Waiting, Kevin Whelan Releasing Solo Album Containing Wrens Songs
This is not what fans of The Wrens had planned, but some of the music written for the group’s long-awaited album is finally seeing light — albeit as part of a new solo record from the band’s bassist/vocalist Kevin Whelan. According to a new profile published in The New York Times, Whelan is taking five song he originally wrote for The Wrens’ follow-up to The Meadowlands, and releasing them alongside five new ones as a solo album called Observatory under the name Aeon Station. The Wrens had promised to release a new album, the follow-up to 2003’s The Meadowlands, as far back as 2006. In 2013, they signed a deal with Sub Pop Records and submitted the album, with plans to release it the following years. But vocalist/guitarist Charles Bissell ultimately decided the songs were not finished and ...
