Alternative Rock
Weezer Go Vivaldi-Rock (?) on SZNZ: Spring EP
For a band still very much defined by the crunchy alt-pop of their very first album (and by the departures from that sound on their classic follow-up), Weezer has used its unlikely second and third decades as a band to practice a surprising amount of eclecticism. For Decade Two (roughly 2003 through 2013), this translated to never knowing whether a Weezer song would be pop-rock bliss or appalling disaster, leaving only the certainty that any given album would have at least several tracks’ worth of each. But since 2014 or so, the band has seemed less defiantly scattershot in their experiments. Their albums still come out at a steady clip, but they feel more sonically and thematically cohesive — without sacrificing their playfulness. Appropriate for its debut in a season of blooming, the ban...
Will Butler Announces Departure from Arcade Fire
Will Butler has announced his departure from Arcade Fire. Butler, a core member of the veteran indie rock band, shared the news ahead of the band’s show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Saturday. “I left at the end of last year, after the new record was complete,” Butler wrote on Twitter. “There was no acute reason beyond that I’ve changed—and the band has changed—over the last almost 20 years. Time for new things.” Related Video Butler added that he was working on a new solo record and composing music for a play by David Adjmi. He also assured fans that Arcade Fire was “still my friends and family,” and thanked “anyone who’s come out to AF shows, or bought a record, or loves our music. It’s meaningful to be part of your lives. Thank you to the crew, staff, management, label people, bands,...
Dave Gahan and Soulsavers Cover PJ Harvey on Fallon: Watch
Back in November, Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan and his longtime musical collaborator Soulsavers released their new covers album Imposter. To support the release, the duo performed their version of PJ Harvey’s “The Desperate Kingdom of Love” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday night. Watch the replay below. Imposter marks Gahan and Soulsavers’ third collaboration to date, following 2012’s The Light the Dead See and 2015’s Angels & Ghosts. Gahan recently appeared on Kyle Meredith With… to discuss Imposters and the duo’s renditions of songs by Cat Power, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and more. Revisit the conversation here. [embedded content] Related Video Share this: [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” nam...
Travis Barker to Perform at the 2022 Oscars
Travis Barker has been drumming for seemingly everyone and their mother lately, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a shock that the Blink-182 member will next take the stage at the 2022 Academy Awards. Barker will be featured in this year’s All-Star Band alongside piano legend Robert Glasper, percussionist and singer Sheila E., and the show’s music director Adam Blackstone. Additionally, DJ D-Nice will perform, as will The Samples, a vocal group led by Green Day affiliate Jason White. At least one of this year’s musical nominees will perform at the Oscars, but it won’t be for the nominated song. As Variety reports, the Encanto favorite “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” will see its first-ever live rendition during the broadcast, even though the sentimental ballad “Dos Oruguitas” ...
Fiona Apple Shows You How to Call Maryland Lawmakers in Support of Virtual Court Access: Watch
Fiona Apple is no stranger to political activism. In the past couple of years, the musical powerhouse has protested and donated her royalties to charitable causes. This time around, she’s urging fans to call Maryland lawmakers in an effort to keep allowing virtual access in courts. To make it a bit easier, she’s even shared a step-by-step video guide on how to do so. For obvious reasons, remote court hearings and proceedings have spiked in frequency over the past two years. If Maryland’s House Bill 657 and Senate Bill 469 are passed, Apple explains, courts would continue to be more just. Apple added, “We actually have legislation written but we need to have it brought to the floor for a vote… So here’s what we would do. Just make two phone calls. I made two phone calls already, and I have ...
Chino Moreno’s ††† (Crosses) Share New Songs “Initiation” and “Protection”: Stream
††† (Crosses), the project of Chino Moreno and Shaun Lopez, have shared two new songs: “Initiation” and “Protection.” The duo made good on their promise to drop new music come spring, having been freshly signed to Warner Records in December. The new singles mark the first original Crosses material since 2014, following a pair of cover songs released over the past couple years. “Initiation” and “Protection” present the two sides of Crosses. The former was inspired by the infamous “The World Is Yours” scene in Scarface and is a self-described “urgent soundtrack for uncertain times”; the latter song “digs deeper into their influences and electronic textures.” Advertisement Related Video “Protection” comes with a visualizer featuring Thais Molon, who also appeared in Crosses’ previous videos&n...
Pearl Jam’s 10 Best Needle Drops
Pearl Jam famously abstained from making music videos for a few years in the 1990s, when they were one of the biggest bands in the world. But their music has regularly graced television and the big screen in other ways, appearing on the soundtracks of films like Judgment Night, The Basketball Diaries, and Reign Over Me. And Pearl Jam songs have popped up all over television, sometimes in surprising places like over a dozen episodes of the CBS procedural Cold Case. Here’s a look back at the 10 best Pearl Jam needle drops in film and TV. 10. “Man of the Hour” – Big Fish (2003) Advertisement Related Video [embedded content] In 2003, Tim Burton adapted Daniel Wallace’s Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, a story of a man’s reconciliation with his dying father. Burton sought out Pearl Jam ...
Arcade Fire Announce New Album WE, Share “The Lightning I, II”: Stream
Arcade Fire have announced their new album. Entitled WE, the band’s sixth full-length is due out on May 6th via Columbia Records. As a preview, they’ve shared the first single, “The Lightning I, II.” Arcade Fire set out to record an album in February 2020, but when the pandemic began, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne decided to hunker down and write more songs instead of sticking with what they already had. “It was the longest we’ve ever spent writing, uninterrupted, probably ever,” Butler said in a statement. The finished product, WE, is at once a double album and a practice in restraint. Seven songs unravel in 40 minutes, split between two sides: Side “I” deals in isolation, while Side “WE” revels in human connection. The project was produced by Radiohead’s go-to boardman, Nigel Godr...
South Park 25th Anniversary Concert to Feature Primus and Ween
Comedy Central will celebrate South Park’s 25th anniversary by staging a one-night-only concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, featuring performances by Primus and Ween. “South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert” goes down on Wednesday, August 10th at Red Rocks. A ticket registration period runs now through Sunday, March 20th through AXS.com. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will also be appear at the concert. In a statement, the duo quipped: “We’re so excited to go home and play at Red Rocks, a place that’s been known for hosting the most legendary Artists and Musicians. Until now.” Advertisement Related Video Primus’ and Ween’s connections to South Park date back to the show’s very beginning. Primus frontman/bassist Les Claypool wrote and recorded South Pa...
Nova Twins Share the Origins of New Single “Cleopatra”: Exclusive
Origins presents musicians with a platform to explore all the inspirations for their latest release. Today, Nova Twins break down “Cleopatra,” the new single from their upcoming album, Supernova. “Genre-defying” is an oft-used descriptor for any artist that incorporates multiple sounds into their music, but for Nova Twins, pushing boundaries comes naturally. Both from multicultural backgrounds, singer-guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South have earned critical acclaim in the UK for combining punk, metal, hip-hop, R&B, and pop influences. For the latest preview from their upcoming sophomore album Supernova, Nova Twins have shared the new single “Cleopatra.” Combining heavy guitar riffs with tribal drums and a rapped delivery, the track embodies female empowerment. “I’m a samu...
Cave In Announce New Album Heavy Pendulum, Share “New Reality” Video: Stream
Cave In are returning with a new studio album, Heavy Pendulum, out May 20th on Relapse Records. The revived post-hardcore act also offered up the video for the lead single “New Reality.” The upcoming album will be Cave In’s first proper full-length since the passing of bassist/singer Caleb Scofield, who tragically died in a car accident in 2018. Converge’s Nate Newton has since stepped in on bass and vocals to complete the band’s new lineup. “Cave In’s been around for over 25 years now, and the time has come for an album that scales all of our creative peaks,” frontman Stephen Brodsky said in a press release. “Talk about a wild and weird ride! And here we are with Heavy Pendulum — it certainly feels like a remarkable event, given the erratic trajectory of our band.” Advertisement Related V...
Alexisonfire Announce 2022 North American Tour Dates
Fresh off announcing their first album in 13 years, Canadian post-hardcore act Alexisonfire have unveiled dates for a 2022 North American tour. The band will hit the road in support of its new LP, Otherness, which arrives on June 24th. The North American dates are broken up into three legs, with the first one kicking off May 19th in Nashville, and wrapping May 29th with an appearance at the So What Music Festival in Dallas. The second leg commences July 13th in Ottawa, Canada, and runs through a July 23rd show in New York City, while the third leg launches September 14th in Cleveland and finishes up October 9th in Anaheim, California. Tickets for Alexisonfire’s upcoming shows go on sale this Friday (March 18th) via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales beginning today (March 14th) and tomorrow (Mar...
