Alternative Rock
Puscifer Unveil New Song “Apocalyptical” with Dancing Maynard James Keenan in Video: Stream
Puscifer recently teased new music coming soon, and they’ve delivered with the brand-new song “Apocalyptical”. The track is accompanied by a surreal video featuring singer Maynard James Keenan showing off a few dance moves. While Puscifer had recorded much of their new album last year, the band originally planned to release new music in 2021, to allow Keenan to complete his touring duties with Tool. But with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing Tool to postpone their tour, Keenan decided to unveil the first new Puscifer song in nearly five years much earlier than expected. “Apocalyptical” is a groovy mid-tempo tune with a dance-like beat, as Keenan and co-vocalist Carina Round deliver whispery lines like, “Go on, moron/ Ignore the evidence/ Skid in to armageddon/ Tango apocalyptical.” The video f...
Muse’s Matt Bellamy Releases New Solo Song “Tomorrow’s World”: Stream
Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has shared his second-ever solo song, and its release couldn’t be more timely. The one-off single is titled “Tomorrow’s World” and finds the veteran rocker holding onto optimism despite these incredibly trying times. “Your body is stronger/ Your mind is a wonder/ Your heart is so full of love,” Bellamy sings over a layer of piano and strings, steadfastly focusing on the positive in his life. “Don’t you waste it… Look to tomorrow.” In a statement, the UK musician said that today’s offering “captures my mood and feelings whilst in lockdown.” He continued, “I have been reminded of what really matters in life and have discovered growing optimism, appreciation and hope for the future. The song title comes from an old BBC TV show called ’Tomorrow’s World,” which I watc...
Hayley Williams’ Petals for Armor Discovers the Strength in Vulnerability: Review
The Lowdown: Hayley Williams once said on the writing of Paramore’s Brand New Eyes album, “Some of it hurt, some of it was like, ‘Am I being too honest even with myself?’’’ Honesty has long been a trend with Williams’ approach to music-making; she’s been the principal songwriter for Paramore since 2005, and her scathing, dynamic vocals have granted her ever-evolving lyrics the perfect expression of painful, angry, at times heartbroken truth. On Petals for Armor, she dives inward at a new level, using dark pop melodies to not only vocalize her innermost thoughts, but also battle them, untangle them, and reckon with them in a way that feels personal to her own experience. She sings on the blistering “Watch Me While I Bloom”, “You only got one side of me/ Here’s something new/ I’m alive in sp...
Peter Hook on 40 Years Without Ian Curtis, Working with Gorillaz, and Keeping the Party Going
“The best thing you can do in life is stick on that smile and get out there and enjoy as much as you possibly can,” Peter Hook says over our lunch on Skype. “Because as we’ve seen from the way that you’ve suffered in America — the way that we’ve suffered here in the UK — time can be very short. You don’t know what’s around the corner do you?” With the utmost tragic timing, an alert flashes on my iPhone screen, informing me of the death of Kraftwerk legend Florian Schneider, who I learn has passed away from his battle with cancer. Absolutely destroyed, I tell Hook, who reflects, “There you go Phillip. A prime example isn’t it? Life can be very short. Too short … and not filled with harmony…” Hook knows a thing or two about harmony, both off stage and on it. The veteran musician, who laid do...
Weezer Will Appear on The Simpsons This Weekend
Weezer have many accomplishments during their 28-year career, and yet they’ve never achieved the nerd rock dream: being written into an episode of The Simpsons. That changes this Sunday, May 10th, when the California outfit will appear in an episode called “The Hateful Eight Year-Olds”, where they’ll play some recent singles as well as teasing the new song “Blue Dream”. According to a press release, Weezer will voice a cover band called Sailor’s Delight, who supply the musical entertainment on Homer and Marge’s romantic cruise. They’ll play some favorites from The Black Album and Pacific Daydream, but the big news for devout Weezer fans (other than the whole Simpsons thing) is the reveal of the new song “Blue Dream”. It’s expected to be another metal-inspired cut, and will a...
Paramore’s Hayley Williams Unveils Debut Solo Album Petals for Armor: Stream
At long last, Hayley Williams has released her debut solo album, Petals for Armor. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. As fans can attest, the roll-out for this record has been quite unusual. In addition to sharing individual singles, the Paramore frontwoman chose to break up the album into three separate EPs. The first was surprise-released in February, while the second followed in late April. Today brings the complete full-length — all three parts — to listeners for the first time. In a press statement, Williams explained her reasoning behind this distribution process. “There are a lot of themes covered on the album as a whole and I thought it best to separate some of these themes so that there can be time for everyone to digest some of the songs before we move along to others,”...
Radiohead Streaming Legendary Bonnaroo 2006 Concert on YouTube
Radiohead are continuing their quarantine concert series and releasing another gem from the vault. Today, Thursday May 7th, the legendary rockers are sharing footage from their legendary 2006 performance at Bonnaroo. Tune in below beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The Bonnaroo performance arrived three years after Hail to the Thief and a year before Radiohead’s most recent consensus masterpiece, 2007’s In Rainbows. What’s remarkable is how much of In Rainbows they played: “15 Step”, “Bodysnatchers”, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”, “Nude”, “House of Cards”, and “Videotape” all made appearances. They played more In Rainbows than they did Hail to the Thief! Via Setlist.fm, they also performed six songs from OK Computer, five from Kid A, and four from Amnesi...
Tom Morello Is “Disgusted” That Young People Won’t Practice Guitar Eight Hours a Day
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello had some choice words for young musicians trying to cut corners to get famous, especially when it comes to practicing. In an interview that previously ran in Metal Hammer’s print edition but was just shared online this week, Morello lamented over the current lack of guitars in popular music. “I’m disgusted by the fact that a lot of young people these days aren’t willing to sit down and practice the electric guitar for eight hours a day,” said Morello. “They are all looking for an easier route to becoming famous. Look at the Top 50 songs on the radio in the U.S. — there are no guitar solos in them.” While it’s tough love from the ever-opinionated guitarist, he went on to suggest that young musicians likely don’t have a chance of topping th...
Alison Mosshart on Writing Songs for Film and TV
Kyle Meredith With… Alison Mosshart Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Alison Mosshart jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to talk about her new solo single “Rise” from the Facebook Watch series Sacred Lies. The Kills vocalist goes on to discuss her fondness for writing for film and TV, working with Alain Johannes, her recent obsession with making her own videos, and the upcoming B-side to “Rise” called “It Ain’t Water”. Mosshart then goes further into the year to let us know about the Third Man Books re-release of Car Ma, its accompanying spoken word companion (“weird shit inspired by the book”), in addition to a small update on the next record from The Kills. Kyle Meredith With…&n...
Weezer Dedicate New Song “Hero” to Frontline Workers: Stream
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Weezer have been forced to postpone their new metal-inspired album, Van Weezer. A new release date hasn’t been given yet, but Rivers Cuomo & co. are making it up to their patient fans by sharing a fresh single titled “Hero”. Although Weezer are suckers for a darn good cover, today’s offering is not plucked from Mariah Carey’s catalog. “Hero” instead finds them amplifying their KISS and Metallica fandom for a cut rife with sharp, shredding guitars and a blaring, arena-ready chorus. The new song comes paired with an official music video shot during quarantine. It features footage of the band while on lockdown — Cuomo is sporting an interesting mustache these days — but more importantly pays tribute to the real heroes: frontline workers. “This one is for ...
Liam Gallagher and Mark Lanegan Are Fighting on Twitter About Something That Happened 24 Years Ago
Liam Gallagher is in a Twitter fight with someone not named Noel. As Stereogum point outs, the Oasis singer currently finds himself in a tiff with another famous alt-rock singer, Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan, and it’s over something that literally happened 24 years ago. In his new memoir, Sing Backwards And Weep, Lanegan reveals that Screaming Trees and Oasis were supposed to tour together in 1996, but that plan fell apart after Gallagher mocked the name of Lanegan’s band by calling them “Howling Branches”. In response, Lanegan told Gallagher to “Fuck off, you stupid fucking idiot.” They apparently then set a date and time to have an actual physical fight, but Gallagher “had quit and bailed before I could have a go at him… That phony motherfucker had pissed his pants and gone...
July Talk Share the Origins of New Song “Identical Love”: Stream
In our new music feature Origins, musicians give fans an inside look at the some of the inspirations behind their latest song. Today, July Talk tell us how they found their “Identical Love”. “I want to be changed/ I want to be rearranged,” go the first lines on July Talk’s new album, Pray for It. The words set the tone for the whole effort, as the Toronto rock outfit set out to find renewal in rebirth — both for themselves personally and their band’s sound. Both types of restoration are denoted in the LP’s latest single and opening track, “Identical Love”. Though known for their snarling indie rock, “Identical Love” shows July Talk operating with a gentler touch. Synths beat like a pulse in the chest of someone slowly reaching out to their lover in a profound moment of truth. A glorious sa...
