music blog
Marbs Broadens Scope of Desert Hearts Black Imprint With latest EP, “Minds on the Run”
As a flourishing record label under the Desert Hearts umbrella, Desert Hearts Black has long been the home for acts who flirt with the more melodic tones of house and techno. However, in hopes of targeting a global audience, the imprint is expanding its Rolodex to include a more varied sound loaded with grit and groove. At the helm of this new sonic journey is label head and Desert Hearts co-founder Marbs. The Southern California native has released an introspective EP born out of the confines of isolation from the global pandemic. Titled Minds on the Run, the project features three original recordings alongside a remix from Spanish techno veteran Oscar L. Described by Marbs as a “twisted trip through my mind and an exploration of the sounds I love,” the EP wraps itself in...
69 Most Anticipated Albums of 2022
2022 is just barely underway, and already, this year is looking to be a legendary one for music. There are dozens of acts both big and small making a grand return in 2022; whether it be indie icons like Mitski and Animal Collective, legends of the ’80s and ’90s like Tears For Fears, Spiritualized and Eddie Vedder, or pop phenoms like Charli XCX and Cardi B, there will be plenty of marquee album releases. Not only that, we’re in a new era of releases entirely. During the initial lockdowns of 2020, many artists hunkered down and used that time to create — meanwhile, many others let themselves off the hook and waited until the pandemic began to wane to even record new music. Since then, genres and traditional labels have blurred even further, TikTok became the one of the most dominant music p...
Behemoth and Arch Enemy Announce Co-Headlining 2022 North American Tour
Behemoth and Arch Enemy are joining forces for the co-headlining “North American Siege” tour this spring. Napalm Death and Unto Others (formerly known as Idle Hands) will support the outing, making for a stacked bill of extreme metal. The tour spans 19 shows and kicks off on April 16th in Tempe, Arizona, running through a May 15th date in Los Angeles. Tickets go sale Friday (January 21st) at 10 a.m. local time and can be purchased via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales beginning tomorrow (January 20th). “To say that we are dying to return on the road would be an understatement!” remarked Behemoth frontman Nergal. “In fact, we’ve never been more hungry to reunite with our legions… not only to bring young of the hottest extreme metal touring lineups in a long time but also to bring you new Behemot...
Nilüfer Yanya Shares Dreamy New Single “midnight sun”: Stream
Nilüfer Yanya’s next album, PAINLESS, is just around the corner. Ahead of its March 4th release, the London musician has shared another new single called “midnight sun,” along with a dreamy accompanying music video. Backed by a downtempo beat and a hypnotic, cyclical guitar riff, “midnight sun” grapples with feeling an influx of heavy emotion and grounding yourself in the love of another person. “So maybe/ I can’t care too much/ I can’t clean this up,” Yanya croons, as the track builds into a gritty, gut-wrenching climax. “Never felt so sure/ You’re my best machine/ You’re my midnight sun.” “It’s a song about recognizing what it feels like to be pushed down but wanting to resist,” Yanya explained in a press statement. “I really like the imagery of ‘midnight sun’ as a lyric as it insinuates...
A Sexual Predator Barely Bothered to Hide in Official Trailer for We Need to Talk About Cosby: Watch
At the time of his 2018 trial, many people were surprised to learn that Bill Cosby was an alleged sexual predator who had been accused of drugging, raping, or sexually assaulting more than 60 women. But as director W. Kamau Bell points out in the new official trailer for We Need to Talk About Cosby, the disgraced comedian barely bothered to hide what he was doing. The four-part documentary series premieres January 30th on Showtime. Bell dredges up footage of Cosby being interviewed on national television, joking about slipping someone a “Spanish Fly. The girl would drink it and — hello, America!” He also shows a now-infamous clip from the The Cosby Show, in which Cosby’s character Dr. Huxtable adds a drug into his barbecue sauce that makes people “get all huggy-buggy.” One i...
Acoustic Adventures – Volume One – SONATA ARCTICA
RATING: 6/10 For melodic heavy metal bands with a substantial catalogue, the lure of the acoustic album is hard to resist. SONATA ARCTICA are more suitable candidates than most, thanks in part to the elegant, lyrical way in which frontman Tony Kakko writes songs. As much as the Finns are able to blow people away with nuts-out heavy metal bluster, they have long stood apart from their peers as something else, something more beautiful and more versatile than the power metal standard. As a result, while “Acoustic Adventures – Volume One” is plainly aimed at diehard fans, rather than the casual metal listener, the whole thing makes perfect sense and is performed with such delicate restraint that it is clearly no kind of cynical stopgap. The opening “The Rest Of The Sun ...
RUSH’s ALEX LIFESON: ‘Being Vaccinated Is A Really Good Thing’
According to RUSH fan blog Rush Is A Band, RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson has shared a new video update for his AlexLifeson.com newsletter subscribers. In the 12-minute video, the 68-year-old musician rambles on about a number of random subjects, including his ENVY OF NONE project, his new amp, his cat, getting vaccinated and other stuff. Regarding his stance on getting the COVID-19 shot, Lifeson said in part: “Get vaccinated… Being vaccinated is a really good thing, and if you’re not, you’re not really doing a good thing at all.” ENVY OF NONE, in which Alex is joined by Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH), Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, will release its self-titled debut album on April 8 via Kscope. RUSH drummer Neil Peart died in January 2020 in Santa Monica, Califor...
KISS Announces May 2022 U.S. Tour Dates
KISS has announced a handful of new U.S. shows as part of the band’s ongoing “End Of The Road” tour. The four rescheduled concerts will take place in May after they were postponed last year. All previously purchased tickets and VIP packages will be honored for the new dates. As previously reported, KISS will also headline this year’s Welcome To Rockville festival on Thursday, May 19 in Daytona Beach, Florida. GUNS N’ ROSES, FOO FIGHTERS and KORN will close out the rest of the four-day event. 2022 U.S. tour dates: May 11 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater* May 12 – Dayton, OH – Wright State University Nutter Center* May 14 – Hartford, CT – Xfinity Theatre* May 17 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credi...
DEICIDE Parts Ways With Guitarist CHRIS CANNELLA, Announces Replacement
Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE have announced the addition of guitarist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE, INHUMAN CONDITION) to the group’s ranks. Taylor joins the band as the replacement for Chris Cannella who has amicably left the Glen Benton-fronted outfit after a three-year run. Earlier today (Wednesday, January 19), Benton said in a statement: “We are pleased to announce and welcome Taylor Nordberg to the DEICIDE family! An amazing and accomplished guitarist who takes our sound to the next level and brings a profound level of professionalism that completes and compliments the DEICIDE machine!” Cannella said in a separate statement: ” Yes, it is true. I am no longer in DEICIDE. There is no drama and we all kept it quiet as to not lead into drama or speculation...
Rihanna Stuns Again In Images From Valentine’s Day Savage X Fenty Collection
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Savage X Fenty / Savage x Fenty Rihanna is showing no signs of slowing down the expansion of her fashion empire and now’s she’s supplying the world with a new collection primed for this upcoming Valentine’s Day. The latest campaign from Savage X Fenty is known as “Love On The Edge,” and the distinction is an honest assessment of the new offerings. As usual, the Barbadian superstar donned the Savage X Fenty wares in an array of images that highlight the singer’s curves and promote the line’s aim of bringing allure to evening wear. One of the items from the collection is a collaboration featuring Savage X Fenty and Fenty Beauty, a first. Gloss Bomb Heat in Lavender Savage is a new color that’s featured in the collaborative effort. There is also a Lace’d Up ...
Kanye West & Big Sean Spotted Leaving The Studio
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty It’s been a very eventful few days for Kanye West. From taking to social media to complain about Kim Kardashian not letting him attend his daughter’s birthday party to having that guy Pete hire extra security after Kanye threatened to “beat” Davidson’s “ass” on a new song with The Game, Ye’s been making all kinds of noise these days. But it seems like Kanye’s at least squashed some lingering drama he had with Big Sean as the two were recently spotted leaving the studio together in Los Angeles just a day ago. Apparently the two have reconciled their differences as Ye was the first to throw a shot across the bow when he called signing Big Sean the “worst” thing he ever did while talking to Nore on Drink Champs a few months back. Big S...
Chuck D To Host New ‘Songs That Shook the Planet’ Series For Audible
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Audible Originals / Audible As the frontman and cofounder of legendary Hip-Hop group Public Enemy, Chuck D has made music that changed the culture of the globe. And now, he’ll guide listeners as host of a new audiobook series chronicling music that has had the same impact. Audible, the Amazon platform dedicated to audiobooks, has announced that they are producing a new series under their Words + Music format entitled Songs That Shook the Planet. The series, which is crafted to showcase songs that have had significant influence politically and socially, will have Chuck D as the host. Songs That Shook the Planet will feature tunes from a variety of notable artists including Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, and Stevie Wonder, among others. Remaining true to the ...
