Alternative Rock
Angels & Airwaves Share New Song “Spellbound”: Stream
Adding to the recent swarm of Blink-182–adjacent news, Angels & Airwaves are gearing up to release their first album in seven years. Lifeforms is out on September 24th, and the Tom DeLonge-led outfit unveiled another preview of it today with the single “Spellbound” and an accompanying music video. “Spellbound” sees Angels & Airwaves really lean into the spacey aesthetic they’ve been touting since their 2006 debut, backed by layered, arpeggiated synths, a house beat, and a tasteful dose of vocal distortion. The song’s lyrics appear to reference a romantic relationship that’s doomed to end in tragedy. “It’s not hard to die from love/ When your heart has been spellbound,” DeLonge sings. The former Blink singer also directed the music video for “Spellbound.” According to a press r...
The War on Drugs Perform “Living Proof” on Colbert: Watch
The War on Drugs appeared on Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, where they offered up the first late-night television performance of their new single “Living Proof.” Watch the replay below. “Living Proof” serves as the first single from The War on Drugs’ upcoming album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore, which is due out on October 29th via Atlantic Records. The band will further support the release by embarking on a lengthy tour in early 2022. Tickets for their upcoming dates are available for purchase via Ticketmaster. Back in January, The War on Drugs appeared remotely on Colbert to support their live album, LIVE DRUGS, with a performance of “Arms Like Boulders.” Advertisement Related Video [embedded content] Share this: You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Date...
Eddie Vedder Announces New Solo Album Earthling, Shares “Long Way”: Stream
Eddie Vedder is returning with a new solo album called Earthling. As a preview, the Pearl Jam frontman has delivered the lead single, “Long Way,” which you can stream below. Earthling marks Vedder’s proper follow-up to 2011’s Ukulele Songs. Beyond the title, details about the upcoming album are limited. “Long Way” is Vedder’s first collaboration with hitmaking producer Andrew Watt, who has worked with a wide variety of artists including Ozzy Osbourne, Post Malone, and Justin Bieber. It tells the story of a fading relationship. “She took the long long way,” Vedder sings. “Well, It couldn’t be had/ What he wanted to hold/ He dared to let go/ He should have known.” Advertisement Related Video A limited edition 7-inch vinyl featuring “Long Way” and Vedder’s upcoming single “The Haves...
The Psychedelic Furs Share New Song “Evergreen”: Stream
Last year, The Psychedelic Furs made a worth-the-wait comeback with Made of Rain, their first proper album in almost three decades. Over a year after its release, the post-punk icons are finally hitting the road again; to rev up the excitement around the upcoming Made of Rain tour, The Psychedelic Furs have shared the single “Evergreen.” “Evergreen” is a leftover track from the Made of Rain recording sessions, produced by the band alongside studio wiz David Maurice and Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Richard Fortus. Built atop cocophonus guitars, the song feels right in line with the moody, shoegazey direction the band took on Made of Rain. Vocalist Richard Butler describes it as “a song about memory and the passing of time.” Listen to “Evergreen” below. The Psychedelic Furs’ 2021 tour kicks off this mont...
Beyond the Boys’ Club: Willow Smith on Embracing Rock, Her Mother’s Influence, and Opening for Billie Eilish
Beyond the Boys’ Club is a monthly column from journalist and radio host Anne Erickson, focusing on women in the heavy music genres, as they offer their perspectives on the music industry and discuss their personal experiences. Erickson is also a music artist herself, recently releasing the song “Eternal Way” with Upon Wings. This month’s piece features an interview with Willow Smith. Many music acts take an entire career to churn out four studio albums, but Willow Smith has already achieved that feat at the age of 20. If you count her collaborative LP (The Anxiety) with Tyler Cole, then it’s five albums, plus a handful of EPs. Willow recently released a rock-inspired new album Lately I Feel Everything, featuring a raw, alternative vibe with heavy guitars, punky rhythms and powerful vocals...
Noel Gallagher’s Son Taught Him How to Play AC/DC’s “Back in Black”
For the Gallaghers, musical proficiency is a family affair. Liam and Noel rose to superstardom as the core members of Oasis, and their kids are apparently following in their footsteps: During a recent episode of his residency on British rock station Radio X (via NME), Noel revealed that his 10-year-old son, Sonny, taught him how to play the AC/DC classic “Back in Black.” The High Flying Birds singer said that ever since Sonny picked up the guitar not too long ago, he “rattles around on it every night.” But rather than gravitating towards the Britpop of Oasis, Noel’s “little protégé” is evidently big on classic rock bands like AC/DC and Queen. I genuinely did not know how to play this riff, ‘Back In Black’, which is a famous riff,” Noel said. Noel went on to describe how he’s been thoughtfu...
Dark Mark vs. Skeleton Joe (Mark Lanegan & Joe Cardamone) Announce Debut Album, Share “No Justice”: Stream
Mark Lanegan and The Icarus Line‘s Joe Cardamone have announced the eponymous debut album for their recording project Dark Mark vs. Skeleton Joe. They’ve also shared the song “No Justice” ahead of the LP’s October 15th release date. The song presents a pulsing electronic sound paired with Lanegan’s imitably deep vocal delivery. Minimal dancefloor beats and synthesizers percolate beneath the grunge veteran’s mix of spoken word and singing. Dark Mark lives up to his moniker during the chorus: “Ain’t no justice here, ain’t no justice there / Nobody sees, nobody cares.” According to the album’s press announcement, the project was born out of Lanegan and Cardamone’s mutual respect for one another as artists. They also needed a creative outlet where they could go outside their typical genres and...
Geese Announce Debut Album Projector, Share “Low Era”: Stream
The Strokes have been the Kings of New York for two decades now, but the scuttlebutt around the palace suggests Geese are coming for the throne. The very young Brooklyn rockers — the eldest member just turned 19 — have announced their debut album Projector. It drops October 29th, and to herald its arrival, the quintet have unveiled the new single “Low Era.” The reference to The Strokes wasn’t accidental, and if you listen to previews of Projector you’ll hear many more. Songs like previous single “Disco” radiate a casual coolness, with textured guitar riffs that would slot nicely alongside cuts from Is This It? But music has come a long way over the last 20 years, and Geese are far more than aughts indie revivalists; the band utilizes tempo changes, psychedelic flou...
Jerry Cantrell Announces 2022 North American Solo Tour
Jerry Cantrell has announced a 2022 North American solo tour. The Alice in Chains singer-guitarist will be heading out in support of his upcoming solo album, Brighten, arriving October 29th. The outing will be Cantrell’s first full-fledged solo tour since 2004. Most recently, he performed a pair of intimate club shows with an all-star pickup band in Los Angeles in late 2019, prior to the pandemic. The extensive 2022 tour kicks off March 24th at First Avenue in Minneapolis and runs through a May 8th date at the House of Blues in San Diego. Highlight stops include an April 5th appearance at Irving Plaza in New York City and a homecoming show of sorts on May 2nd at the iconic Moore Theater in Seattle. Advertisement Related Video Cantrell was joined by a large cast of friends and collaborators...
Des Rocs Drops New Song “Imaginary Friends”: Stream
New York rocker Des Rocs has shared the new song “Imaginary Friends.” It’s the latest preview of his debut album, A Real Good Person in a Real Bad Place, out September 24th. “Imaginary Friends” is a propulsive cut about being left alone with your thoughts. “Do you wanna leave me here?” Des Rocs wails. “We’re always in your head, imaginary friends!” As he tells it, there’s a certain anguish when no one can save you from yourself. “Tell me, why do these voices always try to change me?” he sings. “Sick from the noises, they keep whispering.” In a statement, he said, “‘Imaginary Friends’ is a personal anthem that draws from a well of escapism. For me this song brings up all the darkest parts of myself — the journey of the last few years — and deals with all that darkness in one sort of ma...
Heavy Culture: Nova Twins on Racial Identity, Representation of Women of Color in Heavy Music, and More
Heavy Culture is a monthly column from journalist Liz Ramanand, focusing on artists of different cultural backgrounds in heavy music, as they offer their perspectives on race, society, and more as it intersects with and affects their craft. The latest installment of this column features Amy Love and Georgia South of the Nova Twins. UK duo Nova Twins released their debut album, Who Are the Girls?, in 2020. They kicked off 2021 by curating a compilation called Voices for the Unheard, which showcases alternative and rock artists of color. Proceeds from this compilation went to The Black Curriculum, which is an initiative to address the lack of Black British history in UK classrooms. Bandmates Amy Love and Georgia South describe their music as “urban punk,” but it melds several genres together...
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats Announce New Album The Future, Share Single “Survivor”: Stream
A new album from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats is on the horizon: The Future, the soul-rock outfit’s first record since 2018’s Tearing at the Seams, is out November 5th via Stax Records. To share the news, Rateliff and company have offered a preview with the lead single “Survivor.” The Future was recorded at Rateliff’s studio just outside his home base of Denver, Colorado. “I look at the album overall as a big question,” the musician explained in a statement. “When I was writing the record we were in the middle of a pandemic and our future looked pretty bleak. I just continue to try to write from a place of hope. Then my own neurosis, and maybe being a Libra gets in the way, and I can’t make up my mind. There is this constant back and forth battle in me personally and I am sure...
