music blog
UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER On Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine: ‘I Don’t Know What Kind Of Drugs’ PUTIN Is Taking
Former ACCEPT singer Udo Dirkschneider, who has enjoyed great popularity in Russia for most of his career, weighed in on the country’s invasion of Ukraine in a new interview with Belgian Jasper. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “This is a really bad feeling, I tell you. Normally it was planned that we do another really long tour in Russia and Ukraine in October. Okay, Ukraine is definitely not possible, and Russia will be possible, but I don’t wanna do that. We canceled… All the bands are canceling all the Russian dates. This is impossible. “I feel sorry for the fans, of course. I think at the moment, definitely it takes a while before you can do something like a tour again in Russia,” he continued. “I don’t know. I don’t see thi...
Original AC/DC Singer DAVE EVANS Records Cover Of ELVIS PRESLEY’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’
It was back in 1974 when AC/DC, then fronted by Dave Evans, performed its own interpretation of “Heartbreak Hotel”, a classic hit song by Elvis Presley, which got a special mention in the newspaper review of AC/DC‘s performance at the Sydney Opera House and became such a success at every concert. And despite the talked-about intention, AC/DC has never recorded this cover. Paying tribute to AC/DC‘s upcoming 50th anniversary, Evans chose to record the song in almost the exact way the band used to perform it live. The music was recorded as a collaboration with musicians from Denmark and produced by Danish sound engineer, record producer and Grammy Award winner Flemming Rasmussen, recording engineer of the album “Difficult To Cure” by RAINBOW and producer of...
Tucson Music Hall to Be Renamed to Honor Linda Ronstadt
The Tucson Music Hall will be renamed in honor of Linda Ronstadt, a southern Arizona native who went on to become a Grammy-winning superstar, Mayor Regina Romero announced Friday (March 18). One of the top performers of the 1970s and a popular singer well into the 21st century, Ronstadt collected nearly a dozen Grammys in such categories as country, pop, Latin and children’s music. She stopped singing in 2009 when Parkinson’s disease robbed her of her singing voice. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “Linda Ronstadt is a beloved daughter of Tucson. It is time to honor her legacy and her ability to tell the story of our culture through music,” Romero said in a statement. Ronstadt arrived on the music scene in 1967 as the lead singer of the Stone Poneys, a country-folk trio that feat...
Kanye ‘Ye’ West’s Grammys Performance Pulled Over ‘Concerning Online Behavior’
Kanye “Ye” West’s rep says that an unannounced performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards has been pulled due to “concerning online behavior.” A representative for the rapper confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter details in a report, published on Friday by The Blast, which alleges West received a call Friday evening notifying him that he was scrapped from this year’s Grammys performer line-up. While West is up for five nominations this year, he was not among the first round of artists announced to perform by the Recording Academy ahead of the April 3 ceremony. A rep for West, whose legal name is Ye, declined to confirm whether he was still attending or invited to the show taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. THR has reached out to t...
Shawn Mendes Unveils New Song, Brings ‘Wonder’ on the Road in Billboard SXSW Showcase
“I never want to stop playing, even if I’m playing for 10 people in a bar,” Shawn Mendes recently told Billboard for a cover story preceding his South By Southwest showcase for Billboard + Samsung’s The Stage on Saturday night (Mar. 19). “And I only want to play bigger shows if I get to do it by making music that’s authentic.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news With a special performance at the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park in Austin, Mendes was able to demonstrate both his unyielding passion for playing live shows and ambition for pushing his creative limits. At long last, Mendes will be able to support his 2020 album Wonder on the road later this year after pandemic-caused delays, and he used a hyper-spirited SXSW performance to preview blown-out, rafter-rattling treatments...
Will Butler Announces Departure from Arcade Fire
Will Butler has announced his departure from Arcade Fire. Butler, a core member of the veteran indie rock band, shared the news ahead of the band’s show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Saturday. “I left at the end of last year, after the new record was complete,” Butler wrote on Twitter. “There was no acute reason beyond that I’ve changed—and the band has changed—over the last almost 20 years. Time for new things.” Related Video Butler added that he was working on a new solo record and composing music for a play by David Adjmi. He also assured fans that Arcade Fire was “still my friends and family,” and thanked “anyone who’s come out to AF shows, or bought a record, or loves our music. It’s meaningful to be part of your lives. Thank you to the crew, staff, management, label people, bands,...
Bridgerton Tries to Add Some Substance to Its Decadent Style in Season 2: Review
The Pitch: When it premiered in December 2020, Netflix’s Bridgerton provided plenty of steamy romance and escapism, both of which were in short supply as the world prepared to enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Season 1 of the lush period drama, adapted from Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton book series, followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page), the reluctant Duke of Hastings, as they went from co-conspirators to marrieds, setting Regency-era London ablaze. Their exploits, and those of the rest of the ton, were chronicled by the acerbic (and anonymous) Lady Whistledown, whose influence at times rivaled that of the Queen (Golda Rosheuvel). The second season follows the tradition of Quinn’s books and shifts the focus to a different Bridgerton: this ti...
Exclusive: Master P Gets ‘UNCENSORED’ On TV One: “No Such Thing As Overnight Success”
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: UNCENSORED / TV One Master P is a legendary rapper, businessman and philanthropist representing Hip-Hop culture, without question. The New Orleans native’s life gets spotlighted in the latest episode of TV One’s UNCENSORED, and he offers game for which smart business people would pay a King’s ransom. [embedded content] The episode explores how Master P, born Percy Miller, went from running a record to turning his independent No Limit Records label into an industry juggernaut. Part of how he made it happen was not falling for the okey-doke, which included passing on the million dollars that industry icon Jimmy Iovine offered to sign him. Related Stories “Bro, that white man offered me a million dollars, how much you think I’m worth?,” P rhetorically his br...
A ‘Patria Y Vida’ Documentary Will Showcase the Song That Is Changing Cuba
Cuban rapper Yotuel Romero and his superstar singer/songwriter wife, Beatriz Luengo, wrote the first verses of “Patria y Vida” in 2020 to “report the constant violations of human rights in Cuba and the repression of freedoms of expression for the artistic community,” said Luengo during a panel on March 17 at SXSW. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Today, even after “Patria y Vida” — which was also co-written with Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo and El Funky — inspired Cuba’s current anti-government uprising and won the Latin Grammy for song of the year, change has been slow to come. But Romero and Luengo hope an upcoming documentary of the making of the song will take its message even further. “People have the power,” stressed the ra...
BTS’ Jin Undergoes Surgery After Injuring Finger
BTS‘ Jin is recovering after surgery, Big Hit Music revealed in a notice released on fan community platform Weverse on Saturday (Feb. 19). “We would like to provide you with some information regarding BTS member Jin’s finger injury,” said the company that manages BTS. “Jin injured his left index finger during his daily activities and visited the emergency room at a hospital nearby for examination and treatment on Friday, March 18. He consulted doctors and was told he required surgery as the tendons in the finger had been partially damaged. He underwent surgery to repair the extensor in his left index finger on the afternoon of Friday, March 18,” Big Hit wrote. Explore Explore BTS See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The note went on to offer the BTS ARMY an...
Arcade Fire’s Will Butler Leaves the Band
Will Butler, a longtime member of Arcade Fire, has announced his departure from the band. “Hi friends — I’ve left Arcade Fire,” Butler — who’s the younger brother of frontman Win Butler and has been a part of Arcade Fire since the group’s debut full-length album, Funeral — announced in a tweet on Saturday (March 19). “I left at the end of last year, after the new record was complete,” the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter clarified. “There was no acute reason beyond that I’ve changed — and the band has changed — over the last almost 20 years. Time for new things.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news His update continued, “I’m working on a new record; booking some shows this summer. I’m working on music for a David Adjmi play (which is so good). A few other projects percolati...
Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming Talks New Album at SXSW 2022: Watch
Ahead of the release of new album Headful of Sugar, Sunflower Bean headed to Austin, Texas, to play several shows at SXSW. Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly caught up with singer and bassist Julia Cumming to chat about what fans can expect from the new album, which artists she jams out to, her first concert memories and more. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I would say it is a gritty, psychedelic, pop-rock record,” Cumming said in an interview at the Samsung x Billboard Galaxy House at SXSW. She added, “I feel like the word psychedelic is really weighted. Everyone thinks that it has to be this giant, colorful thing, but our album … We’re from New York City. I’m born and raised in Alphabet City. It’s very much placed in the real world. But we tried to d...
