music blog
NEAL SCHON Explains JEFF SCOTT SOTO’s Dismissal From JOURNEY
JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon has explained Jeff Scott Soto‘s dismissal from the band, saying the singer’s voice wasn’t what he and keyboardist Jonathan Cain wanted. Soto, who previously sang with Yngwie Malmsteen, joined JOURNEY about a week and half into a six-week summer 2006 tour with DEF LEPPARD, after Steve Augeri began having vocal issues. Soto had earlier worked with Schon and drummer Deen Castronovo in the short-lived side project SOUL SIRKUS. JOURNEY named Soto its permanent lead singer in December 2016 before firing him just five months later. Jeff discussed his time with JOURNEY during a recent interview with Argentinian journalist Lucas Gordon. Asked what caused his split with the band, Soto responded: “The problem is I don’t know. That’s the...
METALLICA’s ‘…And Justice For All’ Album Mixer Thought LARS ULRICH’s Drums Sounded Like ‘A**’
In a new interview with Dean Cramer, Steve Thompson, a prominent music producer who has worked with a vast array of rock icons, including GUNS N’ ROSES (on “Appetite For Destruction”), KORN (on “Follow The Leader”) and SOUNDGARDEN (on “A-Sides”) spoke about the mixing sessions for METALLICA‘s classic 1988 album, “…And Justice For All”, and the criticism that record has received for the bass parts being nearly inaudible. While “…And Justice For All” is considered one of METALLICA‘s classics, it has been panned almost since the day it was released for the lack of any bass guitar on the record. Jason Newsted‘s playing is virtually buried in the mix — and many fans feel that drummer Lars Ulrich, who had v...
Widowspeak Announce New Album The Jacket, Share “Everything Is Simple”: Stream
New York indie rockers Widowspeak have announced their sixth studio album, The Jacket. The record is out March 11th via Captured Tracks, but first single “Everything Is Simple” is available to stream now, along with a music video directed by OTIUM. Check it out below. Widowspeak recorded The Jacket with producer Homer Steinweiss. The record, initially a concept album centered around the formation and disintegration of a fictional band, is rife with self-referential, full-circle moments. Now a duo, band members Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas reunited with founding drummer Michael Stasiak for the recording, which also features J.D. Sumner on bass, and piano and keyboard contributions from Michael Hess. “Everything Is Simple” previews The Jacket with a minimalist, country groove. ...
Jared Leto’s Morbius Delayed Yet Again
It’s starting to feel like this vampire will never see the light of day. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Jared Leto’s Spider-Man spinoff Morbius has been delayed yet again, with the January 28th release date pushed back to April 1st. Morbius was originally slated for July 31st, 2020, although the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled those plans. The eternal optimists at Sony had initially rescheduled the movie for March 19th, 2021, before giving up on last year and sinking their teeth into January 2022. Now, with the Omicron variant leading to record case counts, they’re going to try again on April Fool’s Day, which is probably a coincidence, right? It’s not a years-long practical joke because this movie exists, right? They released a trailer and then a second trailer, so i...
Exodus’ Gary Holt Thinks “Shitty Metallica” Mention in New Cobra Kai Season Is “Rad”
Exodus got a big mention in the new season of Netflix’s popular series Cobra Kai, although it had one character referring to the veteran thrash band as “shitty Metallica.” Nonetheless, guitarist Gary Holt is celebrating the “massive Exodus reference.” In the scene (a minor spoiler), the character of Raymond (also known as “Stingray”) — played by Paul Walter Hauser — is confronted by a neighbor, who tells him, “Some freeloader was blaring shitty Metallica all night!” To which Stingray responds, “Yeah, that was actually Exodus’ Bonded by Blood, but it’s not your fault, you don’t know the genre.” Holt, a longtime member of Exodus who also played guitar in Slayer’s final lineup, posted the clip on his Instagram account, writing, “RAD!! One of my favorite shows just threw a massive Exodus refer...
Tom Morello Admits He Doesn’t Know How to Use His Home Studio
Like many artists during the pandemic, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello was forced to work remotely and record music from home during lockdowns. The only problem: He doesn’t know how to use his home studio. In a recent interview with Guitar World, Morello said, “For the first four months or so [of the pandemic] I was absolutely adrift. You know, I have a nice studio in my house, but I don’t know how to work it. Like, I don’t know how to move any of the buttons around. So I was like, ‘I’m not going to be able to play shows. I’m not going to be able to record music.’” The lack of expertise with his gear didn’t stopped Morello from being extremely productive during the pandemic. In the past few months, he released two guest-heavy solo albums, The Altas Underground Fire and ...
The Weeknd Transforms Into an Old Man for His ‘Dawn FM’ Album Artwork
The Weeknd has unveiled the cover art for his upcoming album, Dawn FM, which is slated for release on Friday, January 7. The artwork, which The Weeknd shared to Instagram, sees the Toronto-based artist as an older version of himself, complete with wrinkles, grey hair and a solemn expression on his face. The Weeknd’s aged-up persona, which previously appeared in the minute-long trailer for the forthcoming project, appears to be the artist’s key identity on the album. The trailer for the After Hours follow-up introduces “a new sonic universe from the mind of The Weeknd” and reveals a list of features from the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, Quincy Jones, Oneohtrix Point Never, and, interestingly, actor Jim Carrey. Following the album’s announcement, Carrey tweeted...
Jack Harlow Receives His Own Official Day in Louisville, Kentucky
December 18 has officially been named Jack Harlow Day in Louisville, Kentucky. The “WHATS POPPIN” vocalist shared the news to Instagram, with an image of a framed letter from Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer honoring the rapper’s career achievements and officially recognizing Jack Harlow Day. “The City of Louisville honors Jack Harlow for answering, once and for all, that what’s poppin’ is Louisville when it comes to talent that makes it bigger than big, but doesn’t forget the ‘home’ in hometown or homegrown,” the letter reads. “The rapper’s way with words and beats has earned him untold fans, chart-topping releases and an ability to give back in meaningful ways, and he does.” “Our city is excited and proud to observe December 18, 2021, as Jack Harlow Day in Louisville,” it concludes. The ann...
Supergroup GOT the Beat Debuts ‘Step Back’ at Record-Breaking SMTOWN Live Concert
GOT the Beat, a new seven-member supergroup made up of BoA, Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, Red Velvet’s Seulgi and Wendy and Aespa’s Karina and Winter, rang in 2022 with their debut single, “Step Back.” The group brought the song, which has Yoo Young Jin and Dem Jointz among its producers, to the stage for a special performance at SMTOWN Live 2022 on New Year’s Eve. “Step Back” was officially released as a single on Jan. 3. Explore See latest videos, charts and news GOT the Beat is the “first unit” of a new SM Entertainment project known as Girls on Top, set to bring together and highlight the company’s female artists in various groups. SMTOWN Live 2022, a free event for fans around the world that took place at the “SMCU Express Station” in a virtual space known as “KWANGYA,” fea...
Ed Sheeran’s ‘Bad Habits’ Reigns Over U.K.’s Year-End Singles Chart
It’s official: Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” was the U.K.’s biggest song of 2021. The first single lifted from Sheeran’s latest chart-leading set = (equals), “Bad Habits” led the Official U.K. Singles Chart for 11 weeks during the year, amassing more than 1.7 million combined sales along the way, the OCC reports. Of that sum, “Bad Habits” was streamed 204 million times and amassed 142,000 sales. Sheeran rules the year-end U.K. singles chart, ahead of two Olivia Rodrigo songs, “Good 4 U” (167 million streams) and “Drivers License” (nearly 156 million streams), respectively. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The California teen ties with Sheeran for the most entries on the year-end survey, with three each. Other acts landing multiple entries in the 202...
Adele’s ’30’ Is the U.K.’s Biggest Album For 2021
A new Adele album is typically greeted with excitement and bumper sales. That was certainly the case in her homeland, where 30 (Columbia) logged multiple weeks at No. 1 and ended 2021 as the market’s biggest album. Following its Nov. 19 release, Adele’s fourth LP became the fastest-selling title of the year in the U.K., notching 261,000 week-one chart sales. Since then, the album shifted upwards of 600,000 combined sales and led the weekly chart for five cycles, equaling Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (Interscope) for the year’s longest-reign. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news 30 was a popular stocking filler. The album shifted 502,000 units in “pure” sales, including 448,000 physical units, according to the OCC in its 2021 market analysis. The year’s No....
The Weeknd Dropping New Album ‘Dawn FM’ This Week
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Rich Fury / Getty The Weeknd has confirmed he is dropping a new album in the most The Weeknd way ever. On brand, the Canadian crooner shared a visual preview announcing the new project. The new album, titled Dawn FM, will be available on Friday, January 7. The trailer the crooner released on Monday (January 3) morning includes visuals touting “a new sonic universe from the mind of The Weeknd.” The guest also touted include Quince Jones, Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne and, wait for it, Jim Carrey. Related Stories A narrator/host is head saying “you are now listening to 103.5 DAWN FM” and that “you’ve been in the dark for way too long and it’s time to walk into the light and accept your fate with open arms.” Alrighty then. Recently, the man born Abel M...
