Classic Rock
Willie Nelson Had Trouble Voting in Texas Primary Due to New Voter Suppression Law
Not even a superstar like Willie Nelson was spared from the effects of Texas’ new restrictive voting law. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the iconic singer and his wife had particular difficulty obtaining absentee ballots in order to vote in the state’s primary election earlier this month, which took place on March 1st. Nelson’s wife, Annie D’Angelo-Nelson, told the Austin American-Statesman that she and her husband had to apply for the ballots twice, with their first attempt being rejected because of the new law’s stringent identification requirements. Thankfully, the couple was able to work through the mix-up and apply again, but D’Angelo-Nelson commented that the possibility of other voters with less determination and understanding of the absentee requirements being reje...
Bryan Ferry Announces New EP Love Letters, Shares Title Track: Stream
Bryan Ferry has announced a new EP called Love Letters, which is set for release on May 6th. As a preview, the former Roxy Music singer has unveiled the title track, which you can stream below. Love Letters is, naturally, a collection of love songs. At four tracks, the project sees Ferry reinterpret romance classics made famous by the likes of Dusty Springfield, Billie Holiday, and Nat King Cole. “I like expanding my repertoire by covering songs from different genres and different times,” Ferry said of the EP. “It can be an interesting challenge, finding the best way to interpret them in my own style — whatever that may be.” The artist worked with a long list of collaborators on the project, including Luke Bullen and Tugg (Nathan Curran) on drums, Chris Spedding and Tom Vanstiphout, a...
Bauhaus Release First New Song in 14 Years, “Drink the New Wine”: Stream
Bauhaus are back and more gothically engrossing than ever. With “Drink the New Wine,” their first new song since 2008’s Go Away White, the quartet of Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins, and David J play a musical game of Exquisite Corpse. For those who need to brush up on their surrealist pastimes, Exquisite Corpse was a diversion invented by André Breton, Marcel Duchamp, Jacques Prévert, and Yves Tangu. Each participant creates one part of a sentence or image, either in total ignorance of what the others are doing, or with only the very end of the previous composition to guide them. The name of the game, as well as Bauhaus’ new single, come from the first sentence produced under these constraints: “Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau,” which translates to, “The exqu...
Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast Turns 40: Bruce Dickinson Reflects
Certain years have seen the release of an overabundance of classic metal albums. And 1982 was undoubtedly one of them. Case in point, the arrival of Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance, Venom’s Black Metal, Scorpions’ Blackout, Kiss’ Creatures of the Night, and Accept’s Restless and Wild all within that particular calendar year. However, most metalheads would probably agree that the top metal release of ‘82 was Iron Maiden’s tour de force The Number of the Beast — which celebrates its 40-year anniversary on March 22nd, 2022. Lead singer switches in already established rock bands seem to not work out far more times than they do. But Maiden were one of fortunate ones — when Paul Di’Anno (who provided vocals for Maiden’s first two albums, 1980’s self-titled debut and 1981’s Killers) was re...
George Clinton Announces Parliament-Funkadelic 2022 US Tour Dates
Back by popular demand, George Clinton is bringing his iconic Parliament–Funkadelic ensemble on the road. The “One Nation Under a Groove Tour” will continue in Spring and Summer 2022, taking the longtime funk legend across the US. With over 50 years in the game, Clinton announced his retirement from touring in 2018. He brought P-Funk on the first iteration of the “One Nation Under a Groove Tour” the following year with the intent of it being a farewell tour of sorts; apparently, two years in a pandemic provided him with enough time to rest up and get back out there again. This portion of the “One Nation Under a Groove Tour” will begin in New York City on June 15th at Central Park’s Summerstage. After 17 shows, it will then finish in Napa, California on August 21st. The rotating cast of ope...
Keith Richards Calls Out Eric Clapton’s Vaccine Skepticism: “Do as Doctor Says”
Over the past 18 months or so, Eric Clapton has become a spokesperson of the COVID conspiracist crowd. But regardless of your stance on vaccines, everyone wants the pandemic to go away, and Keith Richards has offered some sage advice for accomplishing that: Trust the experts. Speaking on Rolling Stone’s Music Now podcast, the Rolling Stones legend shared his take on vaccines and Clapton’s abhorrent skepticism: “I just want to get rid of this damn thing, and the only way I can see is everybody does as doctor says,” he said. “I love Eric dearly,” Richards added. “I’ve known him since forever and we’ve had ups and downs… This COVID thing, it’s split people up and it made people sometimes go awry for awhile, you know?” Advertisement Related Video Even before vaccines were readily availabl...
Les Claypool on Covering Rush, New Primus and Delirium, and His Thoughts on Maynard’s Wine
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Les Claypool catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Primus’ upcoming continuation of their A Tribute to Kings tour, where they play the 1977 Rush album A Farewell to Kings in full (get your tickets here). Related Video The legendary singer/bassist goes on to discuss his fandom for Peter Gabriel, XTC, and Jerry Reed before giving us an update on the next Primus release (an EP that will feature a 13-minute song), a project with Sean Lennon that has something to do with animation, “a twang thing” with Billy Strings, and the possibility of another Oysterhead album. Advertisement Claypool then heads back to 2002 to talk about ...
Keith Richards Marvels At Having “10 Times More Wind” After Quitting Smoking
Maybe Keith Richards didn’t sell his soul to the devil after all. The Rolling Stones guitarist, infamous for surviving decades of hard drug use, recently revealed that he quit smoking after 55 years. “It’s funny, I don’t think about it much anymore,” Richards, 78, told CBS Sunday Morning. “Sometimes, you know, a bell rings and something inside says, ‘Hey pal, enough.’ I just put the hammer on it.” Richards — who allegedly snorted his own father’s ashes mixed with cocaine — has put down many of his party habits over the years. He quit heroin in 1978, and stopped doing cocaine in 2006. In 2018, he told Rolling Stone that he even cut his drinking way down to the occasional beer or glass of wine. Speaking with CBS, the artist said he stopped smoking two years ago with the help of nicotine patc...
Alice Cooper’s Coopstock 2 Fest to Feature Rob Halford, Scott Stapp, Larry the Cable Guy, Mike Mills, and More
The 2022 edition of Alice Cooper’s fundraising Coopstock festival boasts an eclectic lineup of performers. In addition to headliner Cooper, the one-day event also features Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Creed’s Scott Stapp, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Larry the Cable Guy, and more. Coopstock 2 takes place April 30th at the Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona, with proceeds benefiting Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers in Mesa and Phoenix. Joining the aforementioned acts on the bill are Ed Roland of Collective Soul, Danny Seraphine of Chicago, Adrian Young of No Doubt, Chuck Garric of the Alice Cooper Band, comedian Gary Mule Deer, country band Sixwire, and actor Patrick Warburton (David Puddy on Seinfeld). Also performing will be young South Korean jazz musician Yohan Kim, as well as members o...
How to Get Tickets to Jackson Browne’s 2022 Tour
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne is running far from empty with a full North American tour in support of his 2021 Grammy-nominated Americana album Downhill from Everywhere. His 2022 “Evening With” tour promises a full band experience following a special guest slot on fellow singer-songwriter James Taylor’s Canadian tour. Get tickets here, and read on for more info including pre-sale dates. What Is Jackson Browne’s Next Tour? Jackson Browne’s solo tour will begin on June 3rd in Maryland Heights, Missouri followed by cities like Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia. The summer leg concludes with four nights at New York City’s Beacon Theater on July 26th-30th. After a short break, the tour resumes on the West Coast in San Diego on August 31st and includes shows in Los Angeles, Seattl...
Pink Floyd and David Gilmour Pull Music from Streaming Services in Russia and Belarus
Pink Floyd are removing all of their music from 1987 onwards from streaming services in Russia and Belarus to take a stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Former lead singer David Gilmour is pulling all of his solo recordings as well. The Pink Floyd albums being removed include A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the band’s first without founding member Roger Waters, its 1994 follow-up The Division Bell, and 2014’s The Endless River, as well as a handful of live albums and box sets. The group’s timeless classics, Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, will remain available, as well as the trove of 1970s-era live albums that were quietly uploaded to streaming services in late December. Both Gilmour and Waters have spoken out against Russia on social media. Earlier this month, Gil...
Joan Jett on Her All Acoustic Album and Upcoming Tour with Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Poison
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Joan Jett catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Changeup, her very first acoustic album that finds classics and deep cuts stripped down to their roots. Related Video The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend takes us into what prompted the project, turning down MTV when they asked her to do the first Unplugged, how songs like “Cherry Bomb” and “Victim of Circumstance” changed with the new set, and how the recent 40th anniversaries of “Bad Reputation” and “I Love Rock and Roll” influenced her song choices. Advertisement Jett also takes us back making 1987’s “Light of Day” with Michael J. Fox, recording a tribute to the late M...
