Alternative Rock
Matt Cameron and Taylor Momsen Cover Soundgarden’s “Halfway There” in Honor of Chris Cornell: Watch
Three years ago today the world lost Chris Cornell. In honor of the late and great frontman, fellow Soundgarden bandmate and Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron and The Pretty Reckless leader Taylor Momsen teamed up to cover “Halfway There”. The two musicians performed their collaborative rendition on video, broadcasting from their own respective quarantine spaces. Cameron primarily handled the guitar, while Momsen delivered a solemn yet strong vocal performance of Soundgarden’s 2012 King Animal track. Watch below. The Pretty and Reckless played an opening set for what would eventually be considered Cornell’s final live performance in 2017. In a recent interview with Kerrang!, Momsen said was she deeply affected by the deaths of Cornell, whom she considered a musical hero, and The Pretty R...
Thurston Moore and Alison Mosshart Perform New Songs for Third Man Records’ Public Access Webcast: Watch
Jack White’s Third Man Records is making quarantine go by just a little bit faster thanks to its Public Access webcast program. The ongoing video series has been providing intimate at-home performances, book readings, and other exclusive content for those still cooped up indoors. For the latest hour-long installment, Thurston Moore and Alison Mosshart perform new material from their own respective lockdown spaces. For his contribution, Moore plays “mantra for d.a. levy”, a piece named after one of his favorite Beat writers. The visual is filmed by Moore’s partner Eva Prinz. This is just the latest new project from the Sonic Youth rocker, who in recent months has also released a new track with his Thurston Moore Group (“May Daze”), as well as with his Chelsea Light Moving members (“Sunday S...
Matt Bellamy Buys Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” Guitar
When Matt Bellamy heard there was a secret chord, he knew he had to have it. In a recent interview with Guitar World, the Muse frontman revealed he purchased Jeff Buckley’s legendary 1993 blonde USA Fender Telecaster — the very guitar used to record Grace and his biggest hit ever, “Hallelujah” — with the intent of playing it on Muse’s next album. There’s no understating how moving Buckley’s legendary ballad is or the album it comes from, as “Hallelujah” is one of the most popular songs to cover off an album that continues to inspire artists 25 years later. Thankfully, Bellamy didn’t buy the guitar with the intent of framing it and idolizing it as the piece of music history that it is. Instead, he wants to continue using it to make art. “I’ve bought it to actually attempt to use it and inte...
Sharon Van Etten and Josh Homme Team for Cover of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”: Stream
Sharon Van Etten and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme have joined forces for a modernized rendition of the classic plea for harmony “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”. But whereas Nick Lowe’s original and Elvis Costello’s popular cover layered hope with frustration, Van Etten and Homme’s take weighs heavier in the COVID-19 era. Theirs is a twangy, lamenting version, as if the lack of change between Lowe’s 1974 recording and the world in 2020 has only weighed down the lyrics. Still, darker though it may be, there is a tone of resilience in their voices as they harmonize on the lines, “So where are the strong?/ And who are the trusted?/ And where is the harmony?” After all, belief that things can and will be better is the only way we’re going to get through times lik...
Zoé Announce New Album Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia, Share “SKR”: Stream
Mexican alt-rockers Zoé have announced a new album called Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia. As a preview, they’ve shared its lead single, “SKR”, as well as a music video. Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia is the band’s seventh studio album to date. It follows their Grammy-winning record Aztlán, which came out back in 2018. While no tracklist has been revealed yet, at least we have “SKR” to tide us over. The song was written by frontman León Larregui and produced by Craig Silvey, who’s worked with fellow alt-rock stars like Arctic Monkeys and Arcade Fire. You can hear a bit of the former mixed in with The Strokes here, as the single uses a closely plucked guitar line to build tension before resolving it all in the chorus, sliding into melodic, drawn-out notes. Editors’ Pic...
The Killers Dedicate “Caution” Performance on Fallon to Frontline Workers: Watch
The Killers may not be able to hit the road due to the pandemic, but they’ve certainly been making the rounds on the TV circuit. In support of forthcoming album Imploding the Mirage, Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS This Morning. On Wednesday, the pair continued their streak by performing an at-home edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Broadcasting from a remote location, Flowers and Vannucci rolled out early single “Caution”. Though it was only just the two of them at the helms, their homemade, stripped-back rendition still captured the spark of The Killers’ songwriting prowess. Prior to the performance, Vannucci dedicated the song to workers “who are putting themselves out on the frontlines helping e...
Pearl Jam Look Into Greta Thunberg’s Crystal Ball in “Retrograde” Video: Watch
Pearl Jam took a deep look at the world around us on their latest album, Gigaton. While they warned of a planet on the brink of cataclysm, they also presented messages of hope and potential triumph. Of course, in 2020, they’re not the only ones calling for change; for the video for the record’s latest single, “Retrograde”, they called on one of this generation’s most prominent — and youngest — environmentalist voices, Greta Thunberg. The animated clip finds a man driving to a strip mall occupied by a number of stores named after Pearl Jam albums. At the end of the row sits a psychic’s shop, where our protagonist goes to get a glimpse of not just his future, but all of ours. It turns out Thunberg is the prognosticator, and inside her crystal ball swirl images of the London Bridge and Eiffel...
KennyHoopla Releases New Single “plastic door//”: Stream
Genre-bending artist KennyHoopla is back with a new single called “plastic door//” via Mogul Vision/Arista Records. He’s also shared homemade music video to go along with it. “plastic door//” is the second track we’ve heard from KennyHoopla’s upcoming EP, how will i rest in peace if I’m buried by a highway?//, which officially drops this Friday, May 15th. It follows “the world is flat and this is the edge//”. For such a short release, the EP is chalk-full of bangers, from indie pop swooners to disco-ready dances. There’s plenty to absorb, and thankfully you can get exclusive insight into KennyHoopla’s inspirations when he takes over the Consequence of Sound Instagram this Sunday. Musically, “plastic door//” sees KennyHoopla digging into yet another sub-genre. This time, he blends mell...
The 1975 Pay Tribute to Their Friends on New Song “Guys”: Stream
The 1975 are now just weeks away from the release of their new album, Notes on a Conditional Form. In anticipation, they’re sharing yet another single in “Guys”, and it’s dedicated to some very special people. While last month’s “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” saw Matt Healy indulge in salacious conversations with a significant other, today’s offering is focused entirely on the British band’s close buddies. Editors’ Picks “It came quite easy, that song,” Healy told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, “but I think I just wanted to write a love letter to friendship, as opposed to every love song being about our romantic relationships. I think that our friendships are obviously our most formative relationships.” He added, “So shout out to the homies.” Stream the smooth cut below, and then head h...
Perfume Genius on Masculinity, Motown, and My Bloody Valentine
Kyle Meredith With… Perfume Genius Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Perfume Genius mastermind Mike Hadreas speaks with Kyle Meredith about new album Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. Together, they discuss how movement informed the record and its connections to the dance and music collaboration The Sun Still Burns Here. Hadreas also weighs in on writing songs with big changes, themes of masculinity, guitar sounds that recall My Bloody Valentine and Motown, and his dream-team backing band of Jim Keltner, Pino Palladino, and Matt Chamberlain. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, a...
New Order and Pet Shop Boys Postpone Co-Headlining Tour Due to Coronavirus
In response to the ongoing health crisis, New Order and Pet Shop Boys have decided to postpone their co-headlining tour. Originally, the “Unity Tour” was supposed to see the two new wave groups trek across North America this September and October. Dates included stops in Toronto, New York, and Chicago, as well as Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Both acts were expected to play full sets, with the headliner alternating each evening. According to a press statement, New Order and Pet Shop Boys are currently rescheduling the tour for September 2021 and the new itinerary will be unveiled “shortly.” Purchased tickets will “remain valid for the new dates but refunds will be available in due course.” Editors’ Picks “Thank you for your understanding. Stay safe, and...
Alison Mosshart Unboxes Second Solo Single “It Ain’t Water”: Stream
After years of punching in the clock for both The Kills and The Dead Weather, frontwoman Alison Mosshart made her solo debut with last month’s single “Rise”. Assuring fans this isn’t a one-time affair, the frontman has returned with her second solo offering in “It Ain’t Water”. Both minimalistic and atmospheric in tone, the four-minute track sees Mosshart brooding quietly over lonesome guitar and wispy percussion. “I don’t know your name, but I like the way you look at me in that suspicious way,” she sings. According to a statement, the new song was recorded with veteran musician and producer Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Chris Cornell, PJ Harvey). “He’s such a talent and such a kind person. His mind is wide open,” Mosshart said of Johannes. “He understands and sees th...
