Classic Rock
Rush Are Getting Their Own Pinball Machine
Rush are the latest legendary rock band to get their own pinball machine. Stern Pinball announced that their first machine of 2022 will be themed around the iconic prog act, sharing a short teaser video featuring a list of featured songs. Although a mockup design for the machine and play field have yet to be revealed, the teaser does depict an impressive CGI rendering of the Fly By Night owl — the kind of graphics one would expect to see on a modern pinball machine as you’re racking up points. Most importantly, the video reveals at least 17 songs that will be featured in the new game — a large playlist compared to other band-themed pinball machines. Fans and players will hear classic tracks such as “Tom Sawyer,” “Spirit of the Radio,” and “Limelight” alongside deeper cuts like “Subdiv...
Alice Cooper Set Money Aside for His Crew When Pandemic Started
Live music was one of the industries hit hardest when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Shock rock icon Alice Cooper saw the writing on the wall and put money aside for his road crew as lockdowns hit last year. In a new interview with Forbes, Cooper revealed that he supported his crew during the tough time before the widespread return of concerts. He only hopes other major acts did the same. “When we saw this coming, we put money aside for our crew,” Cooper said. “We could see that it was… something. So we put money aside as a backup for them. Because we knew that their unemployment would run out, you know? And then they’d have something to go to. I think all responsible bands did that. Hopefully.” Advertisement Related Video Cooper is known for his elaborate stage show and theatrical set piece...
KISS’ Paul Stanley and His Entire Family Infected with Omicron Variant of COVID-19
KISS singer-guitarist Paul Stanley is dealing with his second bout of COVID-19 in the past six months, and this time he’s been infected with the Omicron variant. In fact, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s entire family has tested positive for the new strain. The rock veteran first contracted COVID-19 in August, just a few shows after KISS had resumed their postponed farewell tour. Although Stanley has been a staunch advocate for mask-wearing and vaccines, he faced criticism when he was seen outside a hotel without a mask just days after revealing that he tested positive. On Sunday evening (December 26th), Stanley announced that he had once again contracted COVID-19, writing alongside a selfie on Instagram, “My Omicron face! Yup. My entire family has it. I’m tired and have sniffles. Most ...
Patti Smith Honored With Key to New York City
Patti Smith has been New York City nobility ever since she rose to prominence as one of the initial voices of the city’s punk scene in the 1970s. But now, the multi-hyphenate’s mark on the Big Apple is official: Mayor Bill de Blasio honored Smith with a key to the city today (December 27th). “There are many artists out there, many musicians out there, but there was only one Patti Smith,” de Blasio said at the ceremony. “Patti Smith had an authenticity and has an authenticity that you just didn’t find that many other places — an ability to cut through all the swirl around us and speak some more profound truths.” “I came here in 1967 from a rural area of South Jersey,” Smith added. I had just a few dollars in my pocket, nowhere to stay, no real prospects. But I came here to get a job and see...
Neil Young Drops Surprise Album for Christmas
If all you wanted for Christmas was a new Neil Young album, then you’re in luck. The legendary singer-songwriter has gifted fans with Summer Songs, a previously unreleased album from 1987. You can listen to it now via Neil Young Archives. “Happy Holidays everyone! I think you will enjoy this very cool recording – lost for years, but not forgotten. Now a gift,” Young wrote in a note accompanying the album’s release. The eight-song Summer Songs was originally tracked at Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City, California, with Young playing all of the instruments. Though the album was never released, several of the songs later appeared on records such as Freedom, American Dream, Psychedelic Pill, and Harvest Moon. However, “the words of these originals are significantly different from their subse...
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...
