FEATURES
Weird Al’s Bad Hair Day Turns 25: Mike Mills, Dave Pirner, Chris Ballew, and Portugal. The Man Discuss the Parody Classic
By the time the mid-’90s rolled around, “Weird Al” Yankovic had already recorded “Eat It”, “Like a Surgeon”, “Yoda”, “Fat”, “Spam”, “Smells Like Nirvana”, “Bedrock Anthem”, and dozens of other iconic parodies. He’d been a comedy legend for a decade. And yet somehow the accordion-playing mad genius found a way to reach another echelon with the landmark release of 1996’s Bad Hair Day. On the back of hits like “Amish Paradise” and “Phony Calls”, the record introduced Yankovic to a whole new generation of fans. Moving a record-shattering 1.3 million copies in its first year, it was his highest-charting effort to that point, topping off at No. 14 in the US and cracking the top 10 in Canada. Over the years, its renown only grew, until in 2019 it became one of just eight comedy records to achieve...
20 Years Ago, Opeth Unleashed the Progressive Death Metal Masterpiece Blackwater Park
Despite being an exceptional concept album, Opeth’s fourth album, 1999’s Still Life, failed to garner enough industry attention to fully reward the amount of hard work and hope they’d been put into it. Even so, their recent signing with Peaceville Records and increased touring opportunities meant that mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt and company still felt hopeful that their big break was just over the horizon. Luckily, that turned out to be true, as 2001’s Blackwater Park was not just a major steppingstone for the Swedish troupe, but also a huge leap forward for extreme metal as a whole. Part of the reason for why was that Opeth was forced to leave Peaceville and move to Music for Nations / Koch, resulting in an expansion of distribution and promotional prospects. At first, Åkerfeldt was unhap...
Nissan’s AD-1 Concept Could’ve Beaten the Toyota MR2 at Its Own Game
Porsche’s mid-engined 914 dropped in 1969. Fiat had the X1/9 in 1974. Toyota had the MR2 a decade later. Nissan? Nada. While a few automakers saw success with affordable mid-engined sports cars, Nissan never pulled the trigger. And this is in spite of the fact it built the AD-1 concept car for the 1975 Tokyo auto show. It was the sort of affordable, sporty car that Toyota would see three generations’ worth of success with. Did Nissan blow it? See all 27 photos Maybe not if the AD-1 had made it to production relatively unchanged. As you can see from these period photos (Nissan tells us that, sadly, the AD-1 no longer exists), the AD-1 was a little homely from some angles. The front end screams flash-in-the-pan ’70s microcar, with oversized glassed-in headlights that make t...
The Pioneering Women of Philly Soul
Fifty years ago, the sound of Philly Soul was born out of the legendary Philadelphia International Records. With the talents of The O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Three Degrees, McFadden & Whitehead, and others, the label rewrote the standards of soul music by blending in R&B, funk, and doo-wop with massive orchestral arrangements. To celebrate all P.I.R. contributed to the world of music, we’re giving away a Best of Philadelphia International Records prize pack, which includes vinyl, turntables, and headphones. Click here for more information on these prizes and how to enter this exclusive giveaway. The face of soul music as we know it might have been completely different if not for the ambition and drive of a Columbia imprint, once housed in the vacant offices of C...
Silence Is Golden
In 1959, University of Detroit staffers slipped three silent 45s into the student union jukebox, designed to allow the purchase of peace and quiet during Bobby Darin and Paul Anka barrages. The blanks soon became so popular that needle-burn replaced their hush with the sound of bacon cooking, leading Student Council President Mike McCann to promise undergrads “replacement 45s of ‘stereophonic silence,’ which are twice as silent as monaural disks.” Months later, to protest Elvis’ powers of teen arousal, Pennsylvania’s conservative Reading Eagle News announced the world’s first Silent Record Week, “a tribute to silent jukeboxes” that squares across the world still celebrate every January. Upon catching wind of the Eagle’s nothing-fest, McCann publicly committed his university’s 65-strong cho...
INTERVIEW: Unpacking ESET South Africa’s Approach to Innovation in 2021
After a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic upended the way we live, work and socialize, Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of ESET South Africa, has revealed to IT News Africa the innovations and challenges expected to impact businesses in 2021. Here’s what transpired: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced organisations to adapt to a new, remote way of working; How has ESET risen to this challenge? With the interrupted electricity supply affecting our business throughout the years, we had made the decision some time back to ensure that all employees were mobile and as off the grid as possible. This meant equipping all employees with laptops and backup power and connectivity, both at work and at home. This meant that when COVID-19 hit, we were able to adapt quite quickly. We also took learnin...
Where Did Spoon Sports Come From? This JDM 1985 Civic Started It All
Spoon Sports is a brand synonymous with any and all things Honda performance-related, especially when it comes to what enthusiasts describe as the automaker’s Golden Era, which spans the late ’80s to the early 2000s. From the bright, screaming yellow and blue paint schemes to the often-idolized company founder and acting president, Tatsuru Ichishima, the name and product line are recognized and respected worldwide. And while you’ve no doubt seen Spoon brake calipers, ashy SW388 wheels, and signature kevlar bits and pieces strewn about every car show you’ve ever attended over the last few decades, make no mistake, the heart and soul of Spoon Sports belongs to the track. See all 34 photos Humble Beginnings In 1985, well before the company took shape, a then-33-y...
Tony Iommi Looks Back at Black Sabbath, Meeting Dio and His Friendship With Eddie Van Halen
As one of rock’s most legendary guitarists, the creator of the ominous riff for the song “Black Sabbath” — not to mention the soundscape of the ubiquitous chant-along “Iron Man” and many dozens of other iconic Sabbath songs, Tony Iommi is one easygoing, unassuming bloke. His melodic sense has even led some to term Sabbath “The Dark Beatles.” Iommi, 73, has been a constant throughout Sabbath’s eight singers, a definite aural architect of the Sabbath’s sound over 50 years. Black Sabbath enjoyed several discrete eras: the Ozzy Osbourne years began in 1968. The first of two time periods with Ronnie James Dio at the helm started in 1980, then came round again under the Heaven & Hell moniker in 2006. (The name is taken from Dio’s first LP with his Sabbath brethren.) Recently, Black Sabbath r...
2022 Jeep Wagoneer vs. Grand Wagoneer: What Are the Differences?
We’re here to help break down the key differences between the two big Jeeps and decided which is best for you. And just in time—orders are being taken now for the new Wagoneer family, which goes on sale this summer. For reference, both the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are the same size (and both have long-wheelbase versions coming later) and feature the same interior layout for seven or eight passengers. Think of them as similar to Chevrolet’s Tahoe and Cadillac’s Escalade: Mechanically and structurally the same, but one is nicer and more expensive. See all 112 photos Wagoneer vs. Grand Wagoneer: Design At first glance, the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer are not overly different. They’re pretty much the same size and both have U-shaped windows, r...
Women’s History Month Tribute: Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie
When I was in 7th grade, Christine McVie was like a friend, probably because I had so few. It was one of those cruel middle school mysteries: I left 6th grade popular, the first girl in class to wear eyeliner, but when I returned from summer vacation, everything had changed. As I learned of loneliness, music took on a new role. My mother must have given me the CD—Rumours with a “u”—the spelling of it alone excited me. I used to play it every morning before school, while my cat Mr. Moon walked between my legs. A late bloomer, my hands were still childlike; I can see them in front of me now, red nail polish chipped at the edges, pulling the CD out of the sleeve and placing it in my parent’s old boombox. At first, I listened to Fleetwood Mac because no one else in my class did and, while I al...
Super-Wide and Super-’70s: Freiburger’s Best Internet Find Ever
Who said buying a project vehicle sight unseen was a bad idea? David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan say it all the time, but they usually include a version of, “Do as I say, not as I do,” somewhere while they walk up to their most recent sight-unseen purchase. But this is Roadkill, and it’s business as usual with this most amazing of project vehicles: Welcome the ultra-wide, couldn’t-be-more-’70s 2nd-gen Camaro to the Roadkill fleet! We know, it’s beautiful. Yes, that is (as near as makes no difference) three whole feet of tire section in the rear. No, it isn’t a Pro Street build. No, that doesn’t make it a Pro Touring build, either. So what is this shining example of 1970s ingenuity? Beside being Freiburger’s latest automotive infatuatio...
Underground Vibes | 064
“Happy For You” – Lily Williams Marking her first single this year, Lily Williams has just shared “Happy For You” via Frequency Recordings, a soothing indie-pop gem with distinct electronic influences. “Underwater Fairytale” – yunji After spending years releasing remixes and beats on SoundCloud, South Korean multi-talent yunji has finally shared her official debut single and music video, combining quirky melodies and playful drums on “Underwater Fairytale.” “Could” – Funky M Out via Czech Vibes Sound, Funky M’s latest house gem “Could” is driven by groovy basslines and intricate melodies. “Communicate” Ft. LaVera – Sasha Rome Producer and guitarist Sasha Rome is back with his first single for the year, an R&B/soul-influenced house tune featuring vocals from LaVe...
