Music News
Matt Cameron and Taylor Momsen Cover Soundgarden’s “Halfway There” in Honor of Chris Cornell: Watch
Three years ago today the world lost Chris Cornell. In honor of the late and great frontman, fellow Soundgarden bandmate and Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron and The Pretty Reckless leader Taylor Momsen teamed up to cover “Halfway There”. The two musicians performed their collaborative rendition on video, broadcasting from their own respective quarantine spaces. Cameron primarily handled the guitar, while Momsen delivered a solemn yet strong vocal performance of Soundgarden’s 2012 King Animal track. Watch below. The Pretty and Reckless played an opening set for what would eventually be considered Cornell’s final live performance in 2017. In a recent interview with Kerrang!, Momsen said was she deeply affected by the deaths of Cornell, whom she considered a musical hero, and The Pretty R...
Remo Drive Belt Their Hearts Out on New Song “Ode to Joy 2”: Stream
It looks like A Portrait of an Ugly Man will be quite a musical leveling up for Remo Drive. The Midwest indie rockers have shared another new song from the album, a tongue-in-cheek number called “Ode to Joy 2”, as well as a music video to go with it. From the sound of it, they’re ready to start wooing new fans over the radio with the track. “Ode to Joy 2” is the second single we’ve heard from Remo Drive’s upcoming full-length, following “Star Worship”. Whereas that track was an uptempo primer for a return to the sound of their breakout debut, 2017’s Greatest Hits, this new song leans back cooly, taking its time with a slow-burning funk bass line and suave vocals. Come to think of it, “Ode to Joy 2” almost sounds like an Arctic Monkeys ballad. In a statement, vocalist Erik Paulson explained...
Khruangbin Channel Sade on New Single “So We Won’t Forget”: Stream
Lockdown has afforded people more time to reflect on what matters most in their lives. For Khruangbin, warm memories of family and friends chart high on their lists, as evidenced by their latest single “So We Won’t Forget”. Here, bassist and vocalist Laura Lee Ochoa pens post-it reminders to herself lest she fails to recall a meaningful moment. “One to remember/ Writing it down now/ So we won’t forget,” she sings over a smooth, soothing arrangement. Her voice is reminiscent of Sade, an artist Ochoa has long admired. “Memory is a powerful thing,” Khruangbin note in a statement. “Now more than ever it’s important to tell the people you love that you love them, so that they don’t forget.” Editors’ Picks Check out today’s new song via a video directed by Scott Dungate and co-produced by ...
Volbeat Officially Cancel US Tour After Previously Hoping to Reschedule the Outing
Like most bands, Volbeat were recently forced to postpone their spring US tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Danish rockers originally hoped to reschedule the dates for the fall, but have now decided to outright cancel the outing, which was set to feature support from Clutch and The Picturebooks. The tour was slated to run from April 4th in Tempe, Arizona, to May 13th in New York City. Upon announcing its postponement back in March, Volbeat informed fans that they were looking to reschedule the tour for September and October. Now, with a growing consensus that concerts won’t return to the States in earnest until 2021, the band revealed today (May 18th) that the tour is officially canceled. Volbeat issued the following statement explaining the decision: “We hate to be another band start...
Sadie Dupuis’ Sad13 Return with New Song “WTD?”: Stream
Led by Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis, indie outfit Sad13 are back with their first single in three years. It’s dubbed “WTD?”, standing for “What’s the Drama?”, and is the latest entry in Adult Swim’s eclectic ongoing Singles Program. According to a statement, today’s track is the first Sad13 recording to feature live band members Zoë Brecher (drums) and Audrey Zee Whitesides (bass). Altogether, the three musicians serve up a bubbly, sunny affair complete with a solo sitar debut from Dupuis. Editors’ Picks Despite its upbeat nature, though, “WTD?” actually addresses rather bleak, apocalyptic subject matter. Per Dupuis, the drama in question here is “about eco-fascism, climate gentrification, and the depopulation of species, caused by human selfishness and industrial greed.” Stream ...
Iron Maiden Singer Bruce Dickinson’s Longtime Wife Paddy Bowden Dies in Tragic Accident
Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson’s estranged wife Paddy Bowden died Monday as the result of an unspecified “tragic accident.” Bowden was married to Dickinson for 29 years, but the couple had recently separated. The Independent reports that Bowden’s body was found at the home the couple once shared in the Chiswick district of West London. Together, Dickinson and Bowden had three children: sons Austin and Griffin, and daughter Kia. Austin is the lead singer of the metal band As Lions, while Griffin is the vocalist in the metalcore group SHVPES (pronounced “Shapes”). Bruce Dickinson issued a brief statement, saying, “This is a terrible tragedy which appears to be a tragic accident. Our children Austin, Griffin and Kia and I are devastated. Out of respect for Paddy we won’t be making any fur...
Tool’s Adam Jones Shares Demo of Fear Inoculum Song “Descending”: Stream
Tool guitarist Adam Jones has shared an early demo of the Fear Inoculum song “Descending”. In introducing the one-minute clip on Instagram, Jones gave a peek into the band’s songwriting process. He said that bassist Justin Chancellor initially conceived of a “killer” melody in 7/8 time, which eventually became the main verse. Together they “jammed it a LONG time trying to find other cool working parts,” and Jones eventually came up with the chorus and the 9/8 “turnaround.” Between the written description and the demo itself, it’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the mathy metalheads develop their intricate songs. Jones wrote, “Writing music Justin and I normally bring in potential riffs and demos – then the 3 of us tear them apart like wolves while [Danny Carey] ...
Lzzy Hale: “Most of the Bands You Know and Love Won’t Make It Out of This” Pandemic
Lzzy Hale has painted a bleak present and future for music acts in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, remarking that “most of the bands you know and love won’t make it out of this.” The Halestorm singer-guitarist made the comments on Instagram while also warning her supporters that states are reopening prematurely. Even though Halestorm have a strong following and several rock hits to their name, the financial and emotional hit of the pandemic is taking its toll on the band and its crew — as it is for most touring artists. In her Instagram note, Hale pointed out the “audacity of some people to assume that just because I’m someone of note, that I am not suffering because of all this.” As a majority of the United States starts to reopen in varying phases, Lzzy proclaims, “Without a vaccine,...
Fantastic Negrito Announces New Album, Rips Through “Chocolate Samurai” on Colbert: Watch
Fantastic Negrito has announced his new album Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? The follow-up to the Grammy-winning Please Don’t Be Dead arrives August 14th, and to promote it, the blues rocker ripped through a fiery performance of the lead single “Chocolate Samurai” on Colbert. Xavier Dphrepaulezz began his Late Show set alone, holding two kinds of tape — measuring and duct — and marking out six feet of distance for his band. For the concert, he wore a fuzzy bucket hat and what looked like a military uniform made out of the Bible’s coat of many colors. Fantastic Negrito has a powerful voice with an inimitable grind; he approaches the notes with the unstoppable force of a locomotive barreling down the tracks. Throughout “Chocolate Samurai” he strutted and danced, refus...
Gojira to Stream “Live at Red Rocks” Concert as They Wrap Up New Album
Gojira are completing work on their forthcoming seventh studio album. To tide fans over, the band is streaming its previously unreleased 2017 concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. The show, at which Gojira opened for headliners Opeth, came in the midst of the French metal act’s tour in support of 2016’s Magma album. The open air venue is nestled in the side of a mountain, 10 miles west of Denver — surroundings that the band considered worthy of hiring a professional film crew to shoot the show. The 11-song setlist drew mostly from Magma and 2005’s From Mars to Sirius. The band will also be selling limited-edition merchandise to commemorate the show, including a special edition t-shirt and poster. The apparel and memorabilia will be available during the stream, which will...
Thurston Moore and Alison Mosshart Perform New Songs for Third Man Records’ Public Access Webcast: Watch
Jack White’s Third Man Records is making quarantine go by just a little bit faster thanks to its Public Access webcast program. The ongoing video series has been providing intimate at-home performances, book readings, and other exclusive content for those still cooped up indoors. For the latest hour-long installment, Thurston Moore and Alison Mosshart perform new material from their own respective lockdown spaces. For his contribution, Moore plays “mantra for d.a. levy”, a piece named after one of his favorite Beat writers. The visual is filmed by Moore’s partner Eva Prinz. This is just the latest new project from the Sonic Youth rocker, who in recent months has also released a new track with his Thurston Moore Group (“May Daze”), as well as with his Chelsea Light Moving members (“Sunday S...
#MetallicaMondays: Watch a Young Metallica Play Kill ‘Em All in Chicago in 1983
Metallica are offering up an extra-special treat for the latest installment of their weekly #MetallicaMondays streaming series. This evening (May 18th), the band is airing an August 1983 show from The Metro in Chicago, filmed a few weeks after the thrash masters released their now-legendary debut album, Kill ‘Em All. To put the show in perspective, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett were both 20 years old; Lars Ulrich was 19; and the late, great Cliff Burton was 21. The entire show was comprised of nine songs from Kill ‘Em All, including classics like “Hit the Lights” and “Seek and Destroy”. Plus it featured a guitar solo that ended with fans grabbing and destroying the instrument. Two of the Metro performances — “No Remorse” and “Metal Militia” — were featured on Metallica’s Cliff ‘Em All ho...
