INTERVIEWS
Jason Lytle on The Sophtware Slump turning 20 and Grandaddy’s End
Of the many things Jason Lytle hadn’t counted on doing in this bizarre year, talking about an album of his that turns 20 was certainly one of them. But here we are, discussing Grandaddy’s second album, The Sophtware Slump, one of the most acclaimed albums of 2000 and to most of the band’s fans, their finest work. “The fact that it’s even happening and there’s enough interest in it is pretty cool,” Lytle tells SPIN. “You couldn’t have gotten me to predict 20 years ago that I would be sitting here talking about it. It’s flattering, satisfying and cool anyone even gives a shit. But there is so much uncertainty. I didn’t know that album was going to stand the test of time.” Grandaddy are set to release a lavish, 20th-anniversary box set containing a remastered version of The Sophtware Sl...
The Story Behind Devo’s Surprise Breakout Hit “Whip It”
2020 has been a year that represents de-evolution on a global scale. The pandemic rages. Economies crumble. Inequality and racial strife run rampant. Authoritarianism is on the rise. Massively. Negative forces that have always simmered below the surface — much like in a seemingly serene David Lynchian universe — have… Please click the link below to read the full article. The Story Behind Devo’s Surprise Breakout Hit “Whip It” Peter Csathy You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet...
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How Miami duo boiish is Conquering Underrepresentation in Electronic Music [Interview]
boiish is signed to HE.SHE.THEY, a UK dance music brand at the forefront of the contemporary inclusive movement. For years now, HE.SHE.THEY has been hosting its own parties around the globe with a goal to promote inclusivity, but in late 2019, they announced their debut as a label. Last month, they announced the signing of boiish, the promising Miami duo steadily impressing throughout 2020. boiish burst onto the scene this year as one of 2020’s most hotly tipped underground house acts. Their official remix of Kaleena Zanders and VenessaMichaels’ track “Creme Brulee,” was added to Spotify’s Dance Rising playlist while their rework of Kesha and Wrabel‘s “since i was young” exemplified their ability to construct records that invigorate dance floors. “For remixes, we try to highligh...
The Doors’ John Densmore on His New Book About Musical Heroes
In his post-Doors life, drummer John Densmore is as much, if not more, of a writer than a musician. The author of two best-selling books, Riders On The Storm and The Doors Unhinged, he began working on his newest collection, The Seekers: Meetings With Remarkable Musicians (And Other Artists), several years ago. Inspired by the George Gurdjieff book Meetings With Remarkable Men, Densmore’s newest work, out on Nov. 17, focuses on the mentors and musicians he says “fed him” over the years. Each chapter highlights a different musical icon, weaving tales of his relationships with bandmates Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek, alongside Bob Marley, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Paul Simon, Janis Joplin and many more. The collection is a joyful history lesson for music geeks: Densmore is equ...
Boris on the Making of NO, Pandemic Existence, and the Uncertain Future of Touring
When we look back on heavy metal in the year 2020, we’ll remember the music of Boris. The Japanese trio has been one of the most active bands of the pandemic, releasing a steady stream of music that’s illuminated the experimental act’s past and present. It all began when Boris… Please click the link below to read the full article. Boris on the Making of NO, Pandemic Existence, and the Uncertain Future of Touring Jon Hadusek You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Shamir on New Coming-of-Age Album, Why His Youth Was ‘Cursed’
Five years ago, it might have seemed easy to predict what Shamir’s career would look like in 2020. You might have assumed the mononymous, Las Vegas-raised singer would follow up Ratchet, his acclaimed 2015 breakout, with more albums of fizzy, aggressively catchy electro-pop. He would release a slew of singles in line with “On the Regular,” the thumping, club-ready dance-rap banger that launched his career at 19 and immediately elevated visibility for queer, non-binary pop. He would remain on XL Recordings, or perhaps sign with a major, and try to work his way up to arena shows. Of course, Shamir — who identifies as non-binary but is comfortable using he/him pronouns — did nothing of the sort. After Ratchet, the musician parted ways with XL, experienced a psychotic break and recovery, immer...
Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta on Weight of the False Self, Adjusting to the Pandemic, Podcasting, and More
Like many musicians, Jamey Jasta thought he had his 2020 plans set. He was gearing up to release a new album with Hatebreed in the spring, plus the band had two tours booked with the likes of After the Burial, Havok, Creeping Death, Parkway Drive, Knocked Loose, and Fit for a King. Then, COVID-19 hit. Right as the band was set to begin promoting their new album, the concert industry shut down, and the album’s release date was pushed back indefinitely. Now, Jasta and Hatebreed are set to unleash their eighth LP, Weight of the False Self, on November 27th via Nuclear Blast Records. The album is one of the veteran Connecticut metal outfit’s most aggressive to date, with heavy riffing and powerful themes of self-reflection, loss, and the state of the world. While the concert industry remains s...
HAIM’s Este Haim on Teaming with Fender and Proving People Wrong
The central thesis of HAIM’s cheekily titled third record, Women in Music Pt. III, which came out this summer, appears on the track “Man from the Magazine”. After quoting a sexist interview question that came from a male journalist, the song’s second verse goes: “Man from the music shop, I drove too far/ For you to hand me that starter guitar/ ‘Hey, girl, why don’t you play a few bars?’/ Oh, what’s left to prove?” HAIM, a Los Angeles-based rock group of three multi-instrumentalist sisters that has been referred to as a “girl band” too many times to count, shouldn’t have to prove anything. But, if they did, a spot in a Fender campaign might seal the deal. “I guess the only thing that I can do is just keep proving people wrong,” says HAIM’s bass player Este Haim, who stars in Fender’s latest...
Myles Kennedy Talks New Alter Bridge EP, Solo Music, Slash, and the Pandemic’s Effect on the Music Industry
Myles Kennedy, photo by Antonio Marino Jr. Alter Bridge were into the touring cycle for their 2019 album, Walk the Sky, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down their plans for 2020. With no concerts on the horizon, band members Myles Kennedy, Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall decided to release a live EP from their most recent tour stops, as well as record a new studio track, “Last Rites”. The band’s Walk the Sky 2.0 EP has just arrived, and the collection features six live performance along with “Last Rites”. The studio track was conceived during the Walk the Sky sessions, but was was completed and recorded during the pandemic. Kennedy sat down with Heavy Consequence to talk about the new EP, as well as the status of his upcoming sophomore solo album, the effect of the pandemi...
Heavy Culture: Living Colour on Their Upbringings, Pandemic Life, and Getting Out the Vote
Heavy Culture is a monthly column from journalist Liz Ramanand, focusing on artists of different cultural backgrounds in heavy music as they offer their perspectives on race, society, and more as it intersects with and affects their music. The latest installment of this column features an interview with the Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun, guitarist Vernon Reid and bassist Doug Wimbish. Since 1985, Living Colour have blended rock, metal, and blues to form a sound all their own, inspiring many artists along the way. This year, the rock pioneers are celebrating 30 years of their sophomore album, Time’s Up, which yielded such hits as “Type”, “Love Rears Its Ugly Head”, and “Elvis Is Dead”. This edition of “Heavy Culture” spans several months, as we first caught up with the members of Livin...
Godfall and Composer Ben MacDougall Welcome PS5 Players to the Next Generation
Of all the titles releasing for the next-generation consoles next week, few have as much excitement and mystery built around them as Godfall. The title developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox (who know a thing or two about revolutionary loot-based games given their history with the Borderlands series) was actually the first PlayStation 5 title to be announced, and it’s also one of the only new IPs launching among a lineup packed with familiar faces. A combat-heavy game set in an unknown fantasy universe, Godfall might face the biggest challenges of any launch week title compared to known commodities like Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Yakuza, Watch Dogs and Spider-Man — but it also has arguably the most room to impress unsuspecting gamers. As a brand new title with no pres...
“I Never Intended to Be an Artist”: Julian Jordan Opens Up About His Career in Dance Music
Julian Jordan is a Dutch DJ and producer who has become a household name within the world of house music. He’s released a surfeit of festival anthems on renowned EDM labels such as Spinnin’ Records and DOORN Records. He’s now officially signed to Martin Garrix’s STMPD RCRDS alongside label members Seth Hills, Dubvision, and Matisse & Sadko, among others. Julian Jordan’s sound stands out amongst other house music heavyweights due to its sheer power, energy, and relentlessness that prowls throughout. His most recent release with TITUS, “Badboy,” is a paramount example of that sonic flair. The track blends trap, hip-hop, rap, and future house in a mesmerizing manner. In an exclusive video interview on the When Life Hands You Lennons podcast, Jordan sat down to chat about his new samp...
