Alternative Rock
Kevin Bacon Covers Radiohead’s “Creep” for His Baby Goats: Watch
Kevin Bacon has baby goats, and apparently the kids are big Radiohead fans. In a video posted to his Instagram, the 62-year-old actor busted out an acoustic cover of “Creep” while an adorable little goat chewed on his shirt. “The goats wanted me to play this, I don’t really think it’s appropriate,” the Footloose star said at the beginning of the clip. Still, “the goats were insisting,” so Bacon went ahead and played the first verse and hook until one of the babies got too curious about what was in his pocket and he had to stop. Thom Yorke probably can’t relate. Watch the impromptu barnyard jam session below. Maybe next time Bacon can serenade some pigs? As it turns out, this isn’t the first video that Bacon has posted with the hashtag “#GoatSongs”. Back in November he covered Fra...
Phoebe Bridgers and beabadoobee: Artist and Rookie of the Year in Conversation
Our Annual Report continues today with the announcement of Phoebe Bridgers as our Artist of the Year and beabadoobee as our Rookie of the Year. Stay tuned for more awards, lists, and articles about the best music, film, and TV of the year as 2020 winds down. If you’ve missed any part of our Annual Report, you can check out all the coverage here. There wasn’t a single person whose life wasn’t hit by the hard curve of 2020. Countless studies have been conducted and essays written about how this year impacted the music industry in particular, from delayed releases to canceled tours to financial distress. Artists planned, and the pandemic laughed. Yet, even in these darkest of times, there were those who found ways to not just keep the flame lit, but ignite a blaze. In an amazing testamen...
Robert Smith Plays Three Faith Songs for Charity Livestream: Watch
For the past 18 years, the legendary comedy theater Second City has hosted a day-long fundraiser to fulfill Christmas wishlists for families in need. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s “Letters to Santa” event 24 Hour Improv was hosted online, and viewers were treated to extra special solo set by The Cure’s own Robert Smith. Smith’s performance was comprised entirely of songs from The Cure’s 1981 album Faith to celebrate the record’s upcoming 40th anniversary. He opened with a stripped-down version of “The Holy Hour” on electric guitar over a backing track, switched to synths for “The Funeral Party”, and then finished with “The Drowning Man” on a reverb-soaked guitar. As if to stay on brand, the entire set was filmed in black and white at his home studio. Other performers at...
Eddie Vedder Announces Matter of Time EP, Due Out on Christmas
Eddie Vedder released the two-song single “Matter of Time” b/w “Say Hi” back in November. Now, the Pearl Jam frontman has expanded the bundle into what’s essentially a brand new EP, featuring a quartet of acoustic at-home performances, all of which were recorded throughout 2020. Highlighting the collection is a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. classic “Growin’ Up”. Also present is Vedder’s rendition of “Future Days” recorded for the 2020 Game Awards. (The Lightning Bolt cut soundtracks a particularly powerful moment in The Last of Us Part II.) Rounding out the tracklist are solo versions of “Porch” and “Just Breathe”, both captured for an online Amazon corporate event back in October. Vedder debuted “Matter of Time” and “Say Hi” during the Ventur...
Gorillaz Unveil Video for “The Lost Chord” Featuring Leee John: Watch
Few artists have made better use of 2020 than Gorillaz have. The virtual band released an album and an almanac, performed special livestream sets, dropped vinyl figurines, and visualized their Song Machine series with nine “episodes” (read: music videos). Today, they’re putting a bow on their busy year by sharing Song Machine’s season 1 finale: a music video — err, episode — for their song “The Lost Chord” featuring Leee John. For this one, the gang — 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel — return to Plastic Beach, the setting of their 2010 album. Unfortunately, their visit is short-lived, as a sea monster portrayed by Leee John emerges from the depths of the ocean and destroys Gorillaz’s former seaside home. Take in Jamie Hewlett’s full visual experience below. Perceptive fan...
Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray Share Cover of Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”: Watch
Well, here’s the strangest gift to ever pop out of an advent calendar. Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray have shared a live-from-home cover of Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”. Seemingly delivered to capture the quarantine vibes of Christmas 2020, Lewis and Murray’s rendition of the Lil Durk-featuring track is downtempo dirge. The former sings as she plucks a heavy bass line, while the On the Rocks actor shuffles out a sloppy drum phrase. “It’s almost christmas!” Lewis wrote in the Instagram post sharing the video. “laugh now cry later.” Check out the duo’s Drake cover below. The Xmas treat is something of a reunion for the pair, who last got in the holiday spirit together for 2015’s A Very Murray Christmas special. Editors’ Picks Lewis also recently reunited with The Postal Service for a fun...
Cage the Elephant Announce Virtual Concert
Cage the Elephant have announced a special virtual concert, marking their first live performance since early spring. The livestream will see the full band play an electric set from the iconic Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. The event is part of a Winter Benefit for Bread & Roses, a non-profit arts organization that produces free entertainment and live music for Bay Area children, teens, adults, and elders who don’t have the ability to easily experience the uplifting power of the arts in any other way. As such, the evening will consist of music, fundraising, and celebration to honor the organization’s essential work. The Winter Benefit concert will be broadcast on January 30th at 8:00 p.m. EST via Nugs.net and tickets are now on sale. Check out the poster for the special ...
Dean & Britta and Sonic Boom Cover John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”: Stream
Earlier this week, Alanis Morissette festively covered the timeless John Lennon single “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Now, Dean & Britta, the musical duo comprised of Galaxie 500’s Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, have put their own spin on the holiday classic in collaboration with English producer Sonic Boom. Additionally, Sonic Boom has released his own song dedicated to the season. Jingling bells rattle throughout the warm and faithful rendition of “Happy Xmas”. But there’s also an echoing effect draped over the entire cover, giving it an almost trippy wall-of-sound sensation. According to a statement, Sonic Boom, a.k.a. Pete Kemper of Spacemen 3, came up with the idea for this version and mixed it himself at New Atlantis Studios in Portugal. As for Sonic Boo...
The Voidz and Dua Lipa Perform, Paul McCartney Guests on Fallon: Watch
Thursday night was a busy one over on The Tonight Show, as Jimmy Fallon welcomed Paul McCartney, The Voidz, and Dua Lipa. Each musician was there in a different capacity, with Macca serving as the featured interview. The Beatle discussed his new album, McCartney III, which came together while he was locked down with the family of his eldest daughter, Mary. “I’d have a drink before dinner… and the kids are running around. And once one of them would say, ‘What’d you do at the studio today?’ And I’d say, ‘Ah,’” the legendary artist recalled. “Pull my phone out, get the little boom box going, and I’d play it to them. So they got a preview of the whole album a day at a time. It made it kind of more fun, really. It was like I was just making it for them.” He also touched briefly on a...
Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin Cover Elastica’s “Connection”: Watch
Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin are continuing their eight nights of service to prominent Jewish musicians. For the sixth installment of their Hanukkah Sessions songs series, the Foo Fighters frontman and Grammy-winning producer have covered Elastica’s Britpop classic “Connection”. “From Brit Milot to Britpop…here’s one of the coolest tracks from the 90’s….sung by the very cool…and Jewish…Justine Frischmann…ELASTICA!” wrote the duo in a tweet posted to Foo Fighters’ Twitter account. Previously, the duo paid tribute to Jewish greats like the Beastie Boys (“Sabotage”), Drake (“Hotline Bling”), Mountain (“Mississippi Queen”), Peaches (“Fuck the Pain Away”), and Bob Dylan (“Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”). This run of covers will likely be the last chunk of Grohl-related content of 2020, but there’...
Vicky Cornell: All Unreleased Soundgarden Music Will “See the Light of Day”
Vicky Cornell has stated that all of her late husband Chris Cornell’s unreleased music — including the Soundgarden songs he was working on before his death — will “see the light of day.” She made the confident declaration even though the rights to the unreleased Soundgarden tracks have been the subject of a legal dispute between Vicky and the surviving members of the band. While speaking about the surprise new Chris Cornell covers album, No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vicky was asked by USA Today if more of Chris’ music would be released posthumously. “Yes. All of Chris’ music, including Soundgarden, will see the light of day because there’s nothing in the world that lifts me most than sharing Chris’ gifts, having people speak his name, and having his music out there,” she responded. “He’s...
Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin Cover Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”: Watch
As is Hanukkah tradition, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin have been gifting fans something new each night of the Festival of Lights. But instead of offering jewelry or candy, the dynamic duo’s Hanukkah Sessions song series sees the pair covering eight different prominent Jewish musicians. Thus far, they’ve tackled Beastie Boys (“Sabotage”), Drake (“Hotline Bling”), Mountain (“Mississippi Queen”), and Peaches (“Fuck the Pain Away”). Now, for night five of Hanukkah, Grohl and Kurstin have put their own spin on “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”, the opening track to Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde. “So now everybody must get stoned (not in the Law of Moses sense) as we put some blood on this track: Rainy Day Women 12&35 by ...
