Classic Rock
AC/DC Officially Announce New Album Power Up, Unleash “Shot in the Dark”: Stream
After a number of social media teases, AC/DC have unveiled their first new song in six years. The track, “Shot in the Dark”, is the first single from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame act’s upcoming album, Power Up. Moreover, the band has officially revealed the tracklist, artwork, and release date for the new LP. Power Up, the band’s 17th studio album, will arrive on November 13th. The LP contains 12 songs, and was produced by Brendan O’Brien. Pre-orders, including a limited-edition deluxe version, are available via AC/DC’s online store. The standard vinyl and CD editions can be pre-ordered via Amazon, as well. “Shot in the Dark” marks the official return of classic members Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd, and Cliff Williams, who rejoin Angus Young in the legendary band. The lineup is rounded out...
R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen, Legendary Guitarist of Van Halen Dead at 65
Van Halen co-founder and guitarist Eddie Van Halen has died following a long battle with throat cancer. He was 65 years old. According to TMZ, Van Halen passes away Tuesday (October 6th) at St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica, California. Edward Lodewjk Van Halen was born to Jan and Eugenia van Halen, on January 26th, 1955, in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The family, including elder brother Alex, moved to Pasadena, California, in 1962. With a father who played piano, saxophone, and clarinet, the brothers had the privilege of growing up in a musical household. He wasn’t shredding or even picking any guitars at first, though. Had things gone a different way, Van Halen might have become known for being a classical pianist. He and his brother took lessons from Stass Kalvitis, an older Russian instruc...
Mick Fleetwood Joins TikTok Just to Recreate Viral “Dreams” Video: Watch
In the midst of one of the craziest, darkest weeks in a crazy, dark year, a viral TikTok video brought joy to the world. User @420doggface208, aka Nathan Apodaca, became an overnight star simply by posting a clip of himself skateboarding and drinking Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry juice while singing along to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”. Now, the band’s own Mick Fleetwood has launched his own TikTok account — just to pay tribute to Apodaca’s video. The legendary musician posted his own version of the clip, in which he rolls along (it seems he’s being pulled somehow) and sips from a full bottle of Ocean Spray. Making his lip-synching to his bandmate Stevie Nicks’ lyrics even sweeter is that there appears to be a light drizzle coming down. Even on such a gray day, there is something so blissfully p...
Trump Supporters Play Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” Outside Military Hospital
Because the whole Donald Trump has COVID-19 thing isn’t enough of a fiasco, the president’s supporters had to drag Bruce Springsteen into this. A small group of MAGA sycophants stood outside Walter Reed Medical Center on Sunday to show their love for Trump — by playing “Born in the USA”. To emphasize for what has to be the bajillionth time, “Born in the USA” is not a pro-patriotism song. It’s a lament for a country addicted to feeding its working class populace into pointless wars, only to leave them neglected once they return. So the fact that these people were blasting this protest song outside of a military hospital, where actual members and veterans of the military are trying to rest and be cared for, crosses irony over to actual ignorant cruelty. That’s without even mentioning Springs...
Supernatural’s 15 Greatest Needle Drops
Like the Winchesters, rock ‘n’ roll never dies on Supernatural. The titans of ’70s FM radio are the fuel — or grace, if we’re staying on brand — of the long-running CW series. Kansas, Skynyrd, Seger, and countless classic rock superstars have all scored Sam and Dean’s adventures for 15 seasons. Hell, their songs are often even the names of the episodes. No, classic rock is a part of the show’s DNA, and that DNA largely belongs to series creator Eric Kripke. As he explained way, way back in 2007, “All of my friends call me ‘Old Man Kripke’ because I don’t listen to a band past 1980. That’s why Dean’s music always wins out because I hate so much modern music that I can’t bear to listen to it in the editing room.” In other words, driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole, right? That...
Paul McCartney to Reissue His Rupert Bear Short Film and Soundtrack
The iconic British comic strip character Rupert Bear is celebrating his 100th birthday this year, and one of his most famous fans, Paul McCartney, is marking the occasion in a big way. On November 6th, The Beatles rocker will reissue Rupert and The Frog Song, a 1984 short film he dedicated to the yellow-scarfed little bear, as well as its original song “We All Stand Together”. Written and produced by McCartney, alongside director Geoff Dunbar, Rupert and The Frog Song follows Rupert as he embarks on a merry walk throughout the hills. The friendly bear ends up witnessing a rare ritual called The Frog Song, which is of course “We All Stand Together”, or simply “The Frog Song” as its more colloquially known. It’s a kids film, obviously, but it’s quite cute and was a total hit that even earned...
The Story Behind Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar”
Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” is a scathing critique of the music industry. The third track off of 1975’s Wish You Were Here is sung from the perspective of a record company executive, who cynically implores the band to “ride the gravy train” by following the proven formula of their prior blockbuster, 1973’s Dark Side of the Moon. “Which one’s Pink?” the song asks. It’s a standout line that resonates in this particular recording all the more because neither David Gilmour nor Roger Waters sings it. In fact, no one in the band sings it. Roy Harper does. Who is Roy Harper? He’s an English artist raised on Romantic poets like Shelley and Keats and later inspired by the performances of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. He’s a revered figure among singer-songwriters and musicians across the world — s...
Roger Waters Unveils Live Album Us + Them: Stream
Roger Waters has unveiled the companion album to his latest live concert film Us + Them. Stream it below using Apple Music or Spotify. In 2017 and 2018, Waters embarked on the massive “Us + Them Tour”, which spanned 156-dates across four continents. Footage of those shows captured the old songwriter with some new tricks, including dazzling light displays and a rainbow laser pyramid. Waters co-directed the film alongside Sean Evans, and now the movie soundtrack is available in a 23-song double-CD or double-LP package. Grab your copy here. The collection covers plenty of Pink Floyd favorites, which isn’t a surprise — after all, the tour got its name from a cut off Dark Side of the Moon. But it also prominently features his recent solo work, especially the 2017 album Is This the Life We ...
Heart’s Nancy Wilson Announces Debut Solo Album
Some 45 years into her legendary career, Nancy Wilson is finally going at it solo. The Heart co-founder has announced the release of her debut solo album, which is due out in early 2021 through Carry On Music. The first single, a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising”, is set to arrive on October 23rd. Wilson began writing the album after the pandemic derailed Heart’s 2020 touring plans. “There have been so many times I was asked about when I would ever put out a solo album,” she explained in a statement. “Well, the time is now. Having been unable to tour and having spent so much time at home has made a good space for creating new music.” Along with “The Rising”, Wilson covered a few other songs that reflect “these troubled times we’re living in.” She added, “I wanted to make something ...
Black Sabbath Team Up with Doc Martens for New Footwear Collaboration
Dr. Martens x Black Sabbath shoes + boots The OGs of heavy metal have partnered with the OGs of mosh-ready footwear for a new collaboration. Black Sabbath and Doc Martens have unveiled a new line of boots and shoes commemorating the 50th anniversaries of the metal godfathers’ first two albums. Black Sabbath’s groundbreaking self-titled debut is represented with the 1460 Black Sabbath Boot. The 1970 LP’s artwork covers the entire boot, which is complete with a purple popped eyelet, a badge in the likeness of Sabbath’s flying devil-angel “Henry” logo, and two sets of laces. The band’s follow-up, Paranoid, also released in 1970, is represented by the 1461 Black Sabbath Shoe. The low-cut shoe is mostly black while featuring a portion of the album artwork near the back heel. The words “Black” a...
Paul McCartney on Finally Reconciling with John Lennon: It Would Have Been a “Heartache” If We Hadn’t
In honor of what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, BBC Radio 2 is set to air a new documentary dedicated to The Beatles legend. Dubbed simply John Lennon at 80, the special tribute is comprised of interviews Sean Lennon conducted with his father’s close friends, family, and colleagues, including Paul McCartney. One of the topics McCartney discussed is how he and John finally set aside their differences and reconciled before the “Imagine” songwriter’s tragic death. Discord between the two musicians was well known, especially after The Beatles broke up in 1970. As The Independent notes, in an interview the following year, John said he could never see himself working with Macca again. The bad blood continued later in 1971, when McCartney revealed that his song “Too Many People” fea...
Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” Sees Sales, Streams Spike Following Viral TikTok Video
TikTok is a lot of things, from a breeding ground for obnoxious influencers to the bane of Trump’s social media existence. It’s also proven to be a massive boon to Fleetwood Mac’s career thanks to a recent video featuring the band’s “Dreams” going viral. Five days ago, TikTok user 420doggface208, aka Nathan Apodaca, posted a clip of himself cruising on a skateboard while drinking a jug of Ocean Spray’s Cran-Raspberry juice and singing along to “Dreams”. Stevie Nicks scoring his smooth glide against the clear, early morning sky combined for a vision of pure bliss, and the Internet ate it up. Since then, the single off 1977’s Rumors has experienced a huge bump in streaming and sales numbers. According to Billboard, the song has seen a 88.7% increase in streams (2.9 million) and a whopping 37...
