Alternative Rock
The Cranberries on the 25th Anniversary of No Need to Argue
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Radio Public | Stitcher This Must Be the Gig is joined by Fergal Lawler and Noel Hogan of The Cranberries. Formed in Limerick, Ireland in 1989, the two were joined by Hogan’s brother Mike on bass and later vocalist Dolores O’Riordan. Over the course of eight albums and 20 years, the group wrote some of the most memorable sing-along anthems of the ’90s, from “Linger” to “Dreams” to “Zombie” to “Salvation”, becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Tragically, the group’s most recent record, 2019’s In the End, turned out to be their last as O’Riordan sadly passed away prior to its completion. But now, Fergal and the Hogan brothers are honoring their late friend and continuing the strength of their l...
Gorillaz Announce New Song with The Cure’s Robert Smith
Gorillaz have The Cure for your quarantine blues. For the sixth installment of the Song Machine series, the venerable virtual rockers have announced a new single featuring the Godfather of Goth, Robert Smith. No release date has been set and few details are known. But the band left a few tantalizing bread crumbs on Twitter. They wrote, “Coming up on Song Machine… It’s @RobertSmith.” This was followed by a spaceship emoji, as well as the instructions to “Follow your nearest Song Machine NOW!” That cartoon rocket seems more significant combined with the accompanying promotional pic. It features the cartoon band dressed as astronauts and exploring a rocky orb in space. Looming in the distance is the Earth, and looming close by is Robert Smith, looking like the dark side of the moon ...
Phoebe Bridgers Covers Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees” in a Church: Watch
In addition to releasing one of the year’s best albums so far, Phoebe Bridgers has spent the summer months covering a number of iconic artists. In June, she shared her official recording of John Prine’s “Summer’s End”, which she then followed up with a rendition of Gillian Welch’s “Everything is Free”, done in collaboration with Courtney Barnett. Now, Bridgers has taken on an alt-rock classic in “Fake Plastic Trees”. The indie folk artist’s Radiohead cover came as part of the BBC Radio 1 program Phil Taggart’s Chillest Show. And chill it certainly was. Bridgers recorded her delicate version of The Bends original inside of a church with help from rising R&B star Arlo Parks, who provided icy piano accompaniment. Bridgers previously covered “Fake Plastic Trees” live in concert in 2017, as...
Wilco Announce Summerteeth Deluxe Reissue
Last year, Wilco celebrated the 20th anniversary of their seminal album Summerteeth. Now, the band has announced a new deluxe reissue bursting with additional demos, outtakes, and live recordings. The five-disc set includes the original album, remastered in 2020 by Bob Ludwig, as well as previously unreleased demos of tracks like “Tried and True”, “I’m Always in Love”, and “She’s a Jar”. There are also countless alternate versions and outtakes of “My Darling”, “Every Little Thing”, and “Viking Dan”, among others. As an additional bonus, the reissue features a 1999 concert recording from Colorado’s Boulder Theatre. For fans looking to splurge a bit more, the limited edition deluxe vinyl reissue boasts an extra LP containing audio from an in-store performance at Tower Records held just ...
Oasis Announce 25th Anniversary Vinyl Reissue of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Slip inside the eye of your mind, don’t you know you might find… a special vinyl reissue of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? That’s what Big Brother Recordings is bringing to fans this fall in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Oasis’ seminal sophomore album. Due out October 2nd, the limited edition reissue will see 1995’s (What’s the Story) completely remastered and pressed as two silver colored LPs, as well as a picture disc on heavyweight vinyl. In the lead-up to its release, “both new and original Oasis content from that era will be made available,” and a press statement urges listeners to follow the hashtag #MorningGlory25 so as not to miss these exclusives. Led by the Gallagher brothers, Oasis began working on (What’s the Story) mere months after dropping their 1994 debut a...
Eddie Vedder Joins Instagram to Teach People How to Vote By Mail
Eddie Vedder has joined Instagram, and he’s already putting his new account to good use. Earlier this week, the Pearl Jam frontman made his first-ever post on the social media platform by branding it with his initials. Without wasting anytime, he then got to work posting an instructional series of photos to Instagram showing fans how to vote by mail in the upcoming US election. “GOOD MORNING. Hope you’re all well and hanging tough in these extraordinary times. Me, myself? I’m about to go POSTAL!” he said in his first selfie. “Lest there by any confusion, here is how simple, secure, and verifiable it is to Vote By Mail… In regards to something so huge as taking part in our democracy and putting your voices to great use, nothing could be easier. And at this intense time of a global pand...
Gone Is Gone (Mastodon, QOTSA, At the Drive-In) Unveil New Song “Sometimes I Feel”: Stream
Gone Is Gone — featuring members of Mastodon, Queens of the Stone Age, and At the Drive-In — have released another new stand-alone single, “Sometimes I Feel”. The track marks the third new song the supergroup has unveiled in the past year. “Sometimes I Feel” follows “No One Ever Walked on Water”, which arrived in December 2019 as the group’s first new music in three years, and “Everything Is Wonderfall”, which came out this past July. The band features Mastodon singer-bassist Troy Sanders, Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen, At the Drive-In drummer Tony Hajjar, and multi-instrumentalist Mike Zarin. “Sometimes I Feel” has a trippy psychedelic vibe and is not as heavy as the band’s previous singles. Sanders’ lead vocals are more ethereal than metal, as the song takes some twi...
Thom Yorke Again Postpones US Solo Tour Due to the Pandemic
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Thom Yorke has once again been forced to halt plans for his “Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes” solo tour. The Radiohead frontman’s fall shows in New York City, Sacramento, and Phoenix have been postponed indefinitely. Meanwhile, his dates in Washington, DC, Denver, and Chicago have been canceled outright. Tickets for original dates will be later honored, per a statement from Yorke, while refunds for the canceled shows will be available from the point of purchase. Frustrated Yorke fans know this isn’t the first time the “Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes” itinerary has been pushed back. These dates were originally scheduled to take place in the spring around Coachella, but were delayed until the fall once quarantining began. Editors’ Picks It’s hard to know when Yorke, ...
Bring Me the Horizon Unveil New Song “Obey” Featuring Yungblud: Stream
Bring Me the Horizon have unleashed a new song, “Obey”, featuring frontman Oli Sykes trading verses with UK singer Yungblud. The track is the latest single from BMTH’s forthcoming series of Posthuman EPs. The new song once again demonstrates Bring Me the Horizon’s recent propensity for melding various genres, although there is a return to the heaviness of the band’s earlier work. Sykes offers up some metal screams over thick riffs, with electronic and industrial elements throughout. A music video for the track depicts Sykes facing off with Yungblood as they each control a throwback giant robot in their own likenesses. The clip ends with an unexpected twist that we won’t give away. According to a press release, “‘Obey’ is a soaring ode about how, as a society, oppression has been so normali...
Eels Share New Song “Who You Say You Are”: Stream
Last month, Eels returned with their surprise single “Baby Let’s Make It Real”. It turns out the project’s first track since 2018’s The Deconstruction is actually the A-side to a new 7-inch single. Today, the Mark Oliver Everett-led outfit has unveiled the B-side, “Who You Say You Are”. Like “Baby Let’s Make It Real”, “Who You Say You Are” is a mellow love song. Where the A-side finds E ready to make the jump, however, the B-side finds him a mite bit unsure about his paramour. Over a few wallowing guitar notes, he sings, “Are you who I think you are/ Someone I’ll know for long/ Or someone who doesn’t deserve/ A song.” “Here’s a way to forget your troubles for two minutes and 55 seconds,” E said of “Who You Say You Are”. “Listen to this song and think about my problems instead. You’re welco...
Pure X Announce New Album Rare Ecstasy 2009-2019, Share Willie Nelson Cover: Stream
This past May saw Pure X return with their first album in six years. It turns out fans won’t have to wait nearly as long for a follow-up release, as the Austin natives have just announced a new rarities compilation: Rare Ecstasy 2009-2019 is due out October 16th through Fire Talk. The forthcoming project collects 12 “recordings and rarities” from throughout the indie rock group’s decade-long career. Per a press release, these songs “embody the Pure X sound” and offer up “a raw emotive portrait” of the band’s evolution over the years. As a teaser of this Pure X collector’s item, their cover of Willie Nelson’s 1965 song “One Day at a Time” has been revealed. Mirroring the outfit’s past efforts, this rendition conjures up a wall-of-sound atmosphere, as though it were recorded in some smoky ca...
Bill & Ted Face the Music Soundtrack Released with New Mastodon and Lamb of God Songs: Stream
Mastodon (photo by Carlo Cavaluzzi), Bill & Ted (Orion Pictures), Lamb of God (Amy Harris) Not only has the highly anticipated movie Bill & Ted Face the Music arrived in theaters and on VOD, but its jam-packed soundtrack is out, as well. Among the highlights are brand-new songs from metal heavyweights Mastodon and Lamb of God, along with new cuts from Weezer, Cold War Kids, FIDLAR, Big Black Delta, and more. Mastodon’s song “Rufus Lives” is a particular highlight, with the title an ode to the late George Carlin’s character from the first two Bill & Ted movies. It’s a fast-paced track powered by some hard-hitting drumming by Brann Dailor. After releasing a stellar new album earlier in the year, Lamb of God add another new song to their 2020 canon with “The Death of Us”, a relent...
