During Season 2 of Succession, the character Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) tried to honor his father Logan with a lot of effort and no self-awareness by writing the octogenarian a rap song. Now you can relive that cringeworthy moment, as HBO and WaterTower Music have released the official studio version of “L to the OG”. Written by Succession composer Nicholas Britell, who also plays DJ Squiggle on the show, “L to the OG” is an intoxicating mix of simple rhymes, brown-nosing lyrics, and one of the whitest characters in TV history appropriating black vernacular. “Yo, bitches be catty, but the king’s my daddy,” he raps, “Rock all the haters while we go roll a ’rati/ Squiggle on the decks, Kenny on the rhyme / And Logan big ballin’ on Hamptons time.” In an interview with Vulture,...
Guns N’ Roses have officially postponed their summer North American tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The outing, which was set to feature support from The Smashing Pumpkins on select dates, will be rescheduled. The tour was slated to run from a July 4th gig at Milwaukee’s Summerfest through an August 26th show in Missoula, Montana. The Pumpkins would have opened a handful of shows from July 8th through July 18th. The news comes roughly a week after GN’R called off their European tour, which was set to kick off today (May 20th). A full statement regarding the North American postponement reads as follows: “GN’R Fam, some news: the North American tour is being rescheduled out of an abundance of caution. We will share the updated schedule as soon as the dates are finalized & all tickets ...
Julianna Barwick has announced a new album called Healing Is a Miracle just in time to help soothe our global anxiety. It’s her first record in four years and is due out on July 10th via Ninja Tune. To celebrate, she’s shared the lead single, “Inspirit”, along with a scenic music video that captures the mood. Healing Is a Miracle was built on improvisation, reflection, and collaboration. In particular, the latter takes shape in the form of some very notable guest features by Jónsi of Sigur Rós, Nosaj Thing, and Mary Lattimore. While this may appear like a departure from her past work, the press release assures that Healing Is a Miracle is a natural evolution from her previous albums, including 2016’s Will and 2013’s Nepenthe. Barwick began drafting ideas for Healing Is a Miracle last sprin...
It’s true that Nine Inch Nails had to cancel their fall tour, but it’s also true that the tour already happened, totally kicked ass, and “every single comment on the internet about it was positive.” No, we’re not having a psychotic break (our hydroxychloroquine hasn’t even kicked in) it’s just that with a new line of tour merch, Trent Reznor is leaning in to the national mood of alternate facts and fake news, while taking another shot at his old enemy, “puking” Ted Cruz. NIN are selling collectibles from their “2020 Black and Cold and Infinite Tour” — which, just to be clear, really did get cancelled. In the last few days a couple of choice items appeared on the Nails’ website, and while the tote bag and wall flag are perfectly fine in their own right, the real action is in the descri...
Kyle Meredith With… Indigo Girls Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of Indigo Girls give Kyle Meredith a ring to discuss Look Long, their latest record that finds the folk rock duo reuniting with their lineup from ‘99’s Come On Now Social. Ray and Saliers discuss finding new sonic territory and how the lyrics take stock of their past. As social crusaders, both still find the activist fire burning strong and take a moment to speak about the environmental opportunity the world currently has with everyone staying at home. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday,...
Rina Sawayama, our April Artist of the Month, is back with a new music video for “Bad Friend”. It comes in support of SAWAYAMA, her recently released debut album of “brilliant” and “lyrically complex, refined pop.” Directed by Ali Kurr, the film noir-style clip sees Sawayama play the role of a man drinking down his breakup sorrows at a bar. Though initially reserved and private in nature, after a few too many shots, he completely lashes out and attacks his drinking companion. For Sawayama, this was the first time doing her own stunts and working with prosthetic makeup. Editors’ Picks In a statement, the Japan-born, UK-based pop artist talked about the purposefully shocking tone of the visual, “The song is about the heartbreak of losing a friendship and realizing that you were the cau...
Bill & Ted Face the Music won’t hit theaters until August 21st (more on that in a second), but already it’s received high marks. In fact, the highly anticipated sequel has won over filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, who has had quite a hand in making the film a reality. “I’ve seen it, it’s really good, and we’re almost done,” Soderbegh told Flaviar’s NightCap Live (via Collider) while promoting his brandy, “and I feel like it’s the perfect movie for people who want to feel better about what’s happening right now.” So, what the hell does Soderbergh have to do with this? Well, quite a lot. As he told the show, Soderbergh has been a “cheerleader” of sorts, having worked with original screenwriter Ed Solomon on HBO’s Mosaic. Eh, we’ll let him explain: “When Ed and I started working on Mosaic, I ...
Last year, singer David Lee Roth declared, “I think Van Halen is finished,” when discussing the status of the legendary rock act. However, in a new interview, the band’s former singer Sammy Hagar insists, “Van Halen will never be finished,” while also adding that he’s heard guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s health has improved. While Van Halen have been inactive for the past few years, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band has made a number of headlines. First it was reported and later confirmed that Van Halen had reached out to former bassist Michael Anthony about bringing him back to the band for a new tour. Then, in September, Roth made his comment about Van Halen being “finished.” A month later, a report surfaced that Eddie was diagnosed with throat cancer, and had been undergoing treatments...
Wu-Tang Clan are here to protect ya hands with their own signature line of hand sanitizer. The all-natural, plant-based, vegan hand sanitizer is a collaboration between RZA’s lifestyle brand 36 Chambers and the skincare company Jusu. Though a 8.45 oz bottle of “Protect Ya Hands” will set you back $28.00, for every purchase, 36 Chambers will donate another bottle to The Ottawa Mission Foundation and other homeless shelters in Canada. Order yours here. Wu-Tang’s “Protect Ya Hands” sanitizer isn’t the only band-themed piece of PPE up for grabs: Devo recently launched Energy Dome Face Shields. Additionally, Consequence of Sound just launched its own capsule of custom face masks. A portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares’ COVID-19 Artist Relief fund supporting indepen...
Arca has formally announced her new album, KiCk i. The follow-up to 2017’s self-titled LP is due out June 26th via XL Recordings. The forthcoming 12-track effort sees experimental producer Alejandra Ghersi teaming up with prominent guests Björk and Rosalía, as well as SOPHIE and Shygirl. This fourth full-length continues a long-running collaborative streak for Arca and Björk; Arca previously contributed heavily to the Iceland icon’s albums Vulnicura (2015) and Utopia (2017). KiCk i represents a new and transformative chapter for Arca, who now identifies as a Latinx trans woman comprised of more than one “self-state.” “I’m asking for recognition that we have multiple selves without denying that there’s a singular unit,” she told Paper recently, “I want to be seen as an e...
It took four Fireside Sessions, but Neil Young has apparently grown tired of every fire pit and fireplace in his Colorado home. For the latest entry in his quarantine performance series, Old Shakey took the show down the road — or at least, to the other side of the estate — for a special Barnyard Edition. Once again directed by his wife, actress Daryl Hannah, the performance is largely delivered to a bunch of chickens and — if you keep an eye out — at least one mallard. The set opens with Young playing “Tumbleweed” from 2014’s Storytone on ukulele while a lama named Lazlo and a horse mosey around their pen. He then moves over to the coop to strum out “Homegrown”, the title track from his long-unreleased 1975 album Homegrown, finally due for release on June 19th. Intercut wit...
Secretly Canadian has announced Eight Gates, a new posthumous album from Jason Molina. Due for release on August 7th, it’s believed to the final collection of solo material the lo-fi songwriter recorded before his death in 2013. The upcoming effort was recorded in 2008 while Molina was residing in London. According to a statement, the musician said he penned the album’s nine songs as he recovered from a “debilitating” spider bite. “I was in the hospital here in London,” the Songs: Ohia mastermind noted in a letter. “Saw six doctors and a Dr. House-type guy. They are all mystified by it, but I am allowed to be at home, where I am taking a dozen scary Hantavirus type pills a day that are all to supposedly help — but they make me feel like shit.” The same letter also saw Molina claim tha...