Classic Rock
Bob Dylan Gives Our Half-Assed Year a Half-Assed Christmas Light Show
As the neighbor of Bob Dylan, author and journalist Merrill Markoe has become a celebrity reporter of sorts. For over a decade, she’s documented and analyzed the folk singer’s Christmas lights outside his Malibu home, and this year’s interpretation — Markoe’s last ever — has finally arrived. From half-assed string lights to basic plaster nativity scenes, Dylan’s decorations have prompted Markoe to ask one simple question: “What does it mean?” But the task has proven gruesome as the years have gone by. “Because people keep bugging me, here are you-know-who’s Xmas lights. For THE VERY LAST TIME,” Markoe wrote on Twitter. “But I can no longer take the strain of trying to translate such an obscure method of communication. See thread for my LAST interpretation EVER.” This year, Dylan resorted t...
Sammy Hagar Says He Was Once Asked to Join Pantera (and Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe and Velvet Revolver)
If Sammy Hagar joined every band he was asked to be in, he could have fronted every act on one of the greatest theoretical one-day rock festivals himself. The Red Rocker says in a new interview that he was approached by Pantera’s manager to join the legendary metal group as their singer, and it’s certainly not the only time he’s been asked to sing for a high-profile band. Of course, Hagar will forever be known as one of the most notable replacement singers of all time, taking David Lee Roth’s spot in Van Halen. Granted, he already had a very successful solo career at the time. Hagar took a recent ride in Pantera’s old limousine, which was gifted to radio host Jose Mangin by the estates of late brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Advertisement Related Video “How about if I tell you so...
Elton John Subjects Us to Horrible Flashbacks with “The Ultimate Zoom”: Watch
Winter… Zoom parties… new COVID-19 variant… Sounding familiar? Believe it or not, we’ve entered a disturbing era in which artists can say they’ve “reunited” with their lockdown collaborators, and Elton John certainly isn’t counting himself out from the quarantined festivities. The iconic musician has rounded up the cast of his recent album, The Lockdown Sessions, for a playful (albeit dismal) clip titled “The Ultimate Zoom Call.” John simply does not care that you’ve had enough Zoom gatherings, which is why he’s corralled the likes of Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, and many more to subject you to the harrowing reminder that we are coming up on the second anniversary of this shit. Eddie Vedder, Stevie Wonder, Young Thug, Damon Albarn, and Nicki Minaj were also among the est...
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Perform “Searching for My Love” on Fallon: Watch
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday night to perform “Searching for My Love.” The track is featured on the duo’s new collaborative album Raise the Roof, which was released last month. Watch the replay below. Previously, Plant and Krauss supported the album’s release by performing “Can’t Let Go” and “Trouble With My Love” on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. They also recently played an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Next year, the Led Zeppelin frontman and bluegrass singer will embark on an expansive international tour in support of the studio effort. They’ll play ten US dates throughout June before hopping the pond for the trek’s European leg, which includes stops at London’s BST Hyde Park, the Lucca Summer Festival in Italy, and the Forest...
The Story Behind Crowded House’s “Hey Now, Hey Now” Anthem “Don’t Dream It’s Over”
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over” is one of the most memorable tunes of the ’80s, and the band’s Neil Finn explores that lasting legacy on the latest edition of The Story Behind the Song. Crowded House helped launch a new post-New Wave era in pop music in 1986, creating beautifully simple, earthy melodies driven by guitars rather than synths. Lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter Neil Finn founded the band after the demise of Split Enz (a Kiwi band out of New Zealand with several iconic songs of its own.) Over the years, the band has somewhat quietly sold over 15 million albums worldwide and continues to release new music; just earlier this year, the band rele...
Queen’s Brian May Tests Positive for COVID-19
Queen guitarist Brian May has tested positive for COVID-19. “Yep. The shocking day finally came for me. The dreaded double red line,” May wrote in an Instagram post shared on Saturday. “And yes – definitely NO sympathy please – it has been a truly horrible few days, but I’m OK.” “And I will tell the tale. PLEASE take extra care out there, good folks,” May added. “This thing is incredibly transmissible. You really do NOT want it messing up YOUR Christmas.” Related Video Due to the omicron variant, May’s native UK has seen a 53% increase in new cases of COVID-19 in the last two weeks, according to the New York Times. Friday marked a new record of daily cases with 92,000. Advertisement May has been critical of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s handling of the pandemic. “At every point he did ...
Bruce Springsteen Sells Catalog to Sony for $500 Million
Bruce Springsteen has sold his music’s masters and publishing to Sony Music for a reported total of $500 million, according to Billboard. The Boss has been signed to Sony’s Columbia Records since he launched his career, and was previously given ownership of his earlier albums. But now the label owns his wide-spanning catalog, which includes the 15-times platinum album Born in the U.S.A. and five-times platinum album The River. All told, Springsteen’s discography spans 300 songs, 20 studio albums, and 23 live recordings. Springsteen’s deal is the latest transaction involving a veteran artist looking to cash in on their back catalog — especially as the pandemic put a halt to touring. Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Shakira, Jimmy Iovine, and Dav...
Posthumous Video for George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” Stars Ringo Starr, Mark Hamill, Fred Armisen, and More: Watch
Star-studded is one of the most overused adjectives, but in the case of George Harrison’s posthumous music video for “My Sweet Lord,” it’s an accurate descriptor. Not only do his former bandmates Ringo Starr and Jeff Lynne make appearances, but it centers around a plot starring Mark Hamill, Fred Armisen, and Vanessa Bayer. All told, the seven-minute visual features more than 40 celebrity cameos in total. Watch it below. In the Lance Bangs-directed clip, special agents played by Armisen and Bayer are tasked by their mysterious government bureau’s supervisor (Hamill) to search for… something. “It’s happening again,” an important-sounding caller says over the phone, before Hamill instructs Armisen to look for “something out there” with the aid of a fancy new scanner. As “My Sweet Lord” plays ...
Steve Perry Says New Holiday Album The Season “Was Emotional Therapy”
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Steve Perry sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about The Season, his latest entry into the cannon of holiday albums. Related Video The former Journey singer tells us how last year’s absence of a Christmas feeling and missing loved ones led him to seek a reconnection with this year’s season. He discusses how The Season was inspired by the memories and songs of his childhood, especially the timelessness of original classic holiday tracks. Perry also touches on occasionally injecting his own lyrics into those classics, and teases two original holiday songs he’s written and recorded for a future release. Advertisement Perry...
Don McLean Announces “American Pie” 50th Anniversary Tour
Don McLean is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his career-defining hit, “American Pie,” as well as the album of the same name, with a 2022 world tour. “After spending the past 18 months at home, I am thrilled to be getting back on the road with my band,” McLean said in a statement. “2022 marks the 50th anniversary from when American Pie landed at the #1 spot on the Billboard chart and we will be celebrating on tour all year long. We will be performing all the songs from the American Pie album plus many of the other hits that fans will be expecting to hear.” The tour itinerary is exactly what you might expect from a 76-year-old who can play wherever he wants. He opens with a three-night stand in Honolulu, Hawaii, before spending five days on the Rock Legends Cruise through the Carib...
R.I.P. Michael Nesmith, Co-Founder of The Monkees Dead at 78
Michael Nesmith, co-founding member, vocalist, and guitarist of The Monkees, has died at the age of 78. “With Infinite Love we announce that Michael Nesmith has passed away this morning in his home, surrounded by family, peacefully and of natural causes,” his family said in a statement. “We ask that you respect our privacy at this time and we thank you for the love and light that all of you have shown him and us.” According to a representative for the band, Nesmith passed away from heart failure. The Monkees formed in 1965 when television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider recruited Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones to be in a sitcom of the same name. As Dolenz recalled, “The Monkees was a TV show about an imaginary band, a band that wanted ...
Eddie Van Halen Funko Pop! Figure on the Way
Eddie Van Halen is already immortal in the hearts of millions of rock fans, and now the late guitar legend will be further eternalized as a Funko Pop! vinyl figure. The popular toy company just announced a new figure that looks straight out of Van Halen’s “Panama” video, capturing the guitarist taking a leap while playing his iconic “Frankenstrat.” While it’s a fitting tribute to the rock legend, who passed away in October 2020, his son Wolfgang has revealed that the Funk Pop! figure has actually been in the works since 2019. “Pop signed off on this way back in 2019 and it’s wonderful to see it finally come to fruition,” tweeted Wolf. “So stoked with how it turned out!” Advertisement Wolfgang recently chatted with Heavy Consequence via video Zoom, telling us of his success this past year f...
