Music News
Queen’s Brian May Severely Tears Butt Muscle in a “Moment of Over-Enthusiastic Gardening”
Talk about some fat bottomed pain! Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May severely tore his buttock muscle during a “moment of over-enthusiastic gardening,” resulting in excruciating discomfort and a visit to the hospital. In an Instagram post, the guitar icon posted a still photo of himself with a protective face mask, and a video of himself being wheeled through hospital hallways from his perspective. With the current COVID-19 pandemic on everyone’s minds, the 72-year-old May assured fans in his written post that “the virus didn’t get [him] yet,” going on to explain that he “managed to rip [his] Gluteus Maximus to shreds.” In fact, the injury has left the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer unable “to walk for a while … or sleep, without a lot of assistance.” The guitar legend’s full post reads a...
Phoebe Bridgers, Rina Sawayama, Clairo Cover The 1975 Songs: Watch
No amount of album delays can stop The 1975 from hyping up Notes on a Conditional Form, their upcoming LP and fourth studio album overall. To celebrate its eternally impending release, frontperson Matty Healy asked an all-star group of musicians, ranging from Phoebe Bridgers to Rina Sawayama, to cover different songs from the band’s catalog on Instagram Live. Healy knew what he was doing when he curated today’s livestream extravaganza in partnership with UK magazine The Face. Every hour starting at 11:00 a.m. ET today, a new musician would take the Instagram Live reigns at The Face and put their own spin on an original by The 1975. All said and done, things went pretty smoothly. Pale Waves’ Heather Baron Gracie kicked things off with a cover of “Sex” and indie popper Cavetown followed...
Unreleased Aleka’s Attic Songs Featuring Flea Coming For River Phoenix’s 50th Birthday
A pair of previously unreleased songs from River Phoenix’s band Aleka’s Attic will be released on August 23rd in celebration of Phoenix’s 50th birthday. The two songs were recently completed by Phoenix’s close friend, Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers. They’ll be released digitally and on 10-inch vinyl through LaunchLeft, the artist alliance founded by River Phoenix’s sister and former Aleka’s Attic bandmate, Rain. Last year, Rain Phoenix put out a double A-sided single featuring two unreleased Aleka’s Attic songs alongside a new collaboration between Rain and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. Rain also released her debut solo album named in honor of her late brother. Watch Flea discuss River Phoenix in an interview from 1995: [embedded content]
Billie Eilish and Her Father Launch “me & dad radio” on Apple Music
Billie Eilish and her father, the actor Patrick O’Connell, have announced “me & dad radio”. The new show will premiere on Apple Music this Friday, May 8th, at 3 pm EDT. This will be Eilish’s second program on Apple Music, after her 2018 show “groupies have feelings too”. That preceded her Grammy-winning breakout LP, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, and now she has the clout to demand her dad be a part of the proceedings. O’Connell has a four-decade acting career, with bit parts in NYPD Blue, The West Wing, Supergirl and Baskets. As it turns out, he also has pretty good taste in tunes. “My dad and I have been putting each other on to music since I can remember, and we want to share it with you,” Eilish told Zane Lowe. She added, “My dad and I have had this relationshi...
UK Rapper Ty Dies At Age of 47 from COVID-19
Nigerian-British rapper Ty has died at the age of 47 due to complications from COVID-19. According to The Guardian, Ty (born Ben Chijioke) was hospitalized in early April. He was subsequently put in a medically induced coma, and though he initially showed signs of improvement, his condition ultimately deteriorated. He passed away Thursday, May 7th. Ty’s 2003 sophomore album, Upwards, was nominated for the Mercury Prize, the annual award given to the UK’s best record. Other nominees that year included Amy Winehouse’s Frank, Belle & Sebastian’s Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Basement Jaxx’s Kish Kash, and Franz Ferdiand’s self-titled debut, which ultimately claimed the prize. Ty’s follow-up album, 2006’s Closer, featured collaborations with De La Soul, Zion I, and Speech of Arrested Dev...
Iron Maiden Postpone All 2020 Shows Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, Reschedule Many Dates for 2021
Iron Maiden have postponed all 2020 touring plans as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. The legendary UK metal band has rescheduled many of the European dates of its ongoing “Legacy of the Beast Tour” for 2021, but canceled festival appearances have not been rescheduled. The band was supposed to begin the first leg of the 2020 tour on May 1st in Perth, Australia, with shows in New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Dubai, and Israel to follow. Those dates have not been rescheduled yet, though the band hopes to return to those countries “in some guise, in the first half of 2022.” European shows in Moscow, Weert, and Zurich have also not been rearranged thus far. Iron Maiden’s manager Rod Smallwood issued a statement on the band’s website in regards to the postponements and cancellations: “I hope...
Neil Young Showcases Rarities (and his Dogs) in Fourth Fireside Session: Watch
Neil Young is back with another charming installment of his Fireside Session performance series. Much like the first, second, and third entries, the acoustic set was filmed by wife and actress Daryl Hannah at their Colorado home. Over the course of 37 minutes, Young knocks out live rarity after live rarity, giving special attention to tracks off his Silver & Gold album, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary last month. The fourth Fireside Session starts with Young outdoors by a fire (naturally), where he plays Harvest Moon selection “One of These Days” as the sun beautifully sets behind him. The folk legend also spends some time strumming inside by his fireplace and cozied up to his piano, performing songs like 1970’s “After the Gold Rush” and Ragged Glory cut “Mother Earth”....
Dave Mustaine Records Vocals for New Megadeth Album, Says Cannabis Aided His Cancer Battle
Megadeth were hoping to hit the studio this spring to properly record their new album, but the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed those plans. That said, frontman Dave Mustaine didn’t let the lockdown stop him from recording vocals this week. A new tweet from the band shows a pic of Mustaine in his home studio, with the caption, “Laying down some vocals today! #Megadeth16.” The hashtag refers to Megadeth’s upcoming 16th album, the follow up to 2016’s Dystopia, which yielded the metal legends a Grammy for its title track. Last month, bassist David Ellefson said that the new album was “written and ready to be recorded” and that the band members had planned to convene in Nashville to record the LP. However, the pandemic put those plans on hold, with Ellefson adding, “Once the lockdown lifts and it’s...
Soccer Mommy Goes on Tour in New 8-Bit Video for “crawling in my skin”: Watch
If you’re not aggressively baking bread in quarantine, chances are most of your time is spent online. That’s been the case for Soccer Mommy, who has adapted to the lockdown era by getting super creative about her digital presence. Not only did she throw a massive online concert on video game platform Club Penguin Rewritten (featuring more than 10,000 “attendees”), but she also recently released a set of her own Zoom background images. For her latest endeavor, the indie songwriter also known as Sophie Allison has found a way to go “on tour” without ever leaving her home. Enter her 8-bit music video series concept for “crawling in my skin”. Directed by Bella Clark, each clip follows Soccer Mommy as she “performs” in different North American cities alongside her fellow 8-bit band members. Alt...
Charli XCX Releases New Single “I Finally Understand”: Stream
Perhaps no one has been more productive in quarantine than Charli XCX: the pop singer is literally using the time to record a brand new album. In case you haven’t heard, it’s called How I’m Feeling Now and is due out next Friday — May 15th. So far, she’s unveiled two teaser singles in “Forever” and “Claws”. Now, she’s back with a third preview: a punchy electro-pop track called “I Finally Understand”. Take a listen below. Charli is working on How I’m Feeling Now with assistance from PC Music leader A. G. Cook and BJ Burton (Bon Iver). She’s been documenting the entire recording process on social media, and has gotten fans involved by letting them vote on artwork and other creative aspects of the project. How I’m Feeling Now marks the pop musician’s fourth album to date...
R.I.P. Brian Howe, Bad Company Singer Dies at 66
Brian Howe, the former lead vocalist of Bad Company, has died at the age of 66. Citing a family source, TMZ reports that Howe died Wednesday, May 6th, at his home in Florida from cardiac arrest. Howe is best known as the singer who replaced Paul Rodgers in Bad Company, though his first big break came in 1984 when he sang lead vocals on Ted Nugent’s album Penetrator. Two years later, he was hired by Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke to front Bad Company. He served that role for a decade, appearing on albums including Fame and Fortune, Dangerous Age, Holy Water, and Here Comes Trouble. During this time, the band also achieved five top 10 hits on the Billboard Rock charts, including “Shake It Up”, “No Smoke Without a Fire”, and “Holy Water”. Howe left Bad Company in 1994, citing creative disagreeme...
Lil Durk, Lil Baby, and Polo G Link Up on “3 Headed Goat”: Stream
Friday brings the release of Lil Durk’s latest album, Just Cause Y’all Waited 2, but he couldn’t wait to unveil one of the tracklist’s biggest collaborations. On the aptly titled “3 Headed Goat”, Durk links up with two of hip-hop’s most exciting names: Lil Baby and Polo G. Take a listen below. Spanning 15 tracks in all, Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 also boasts appearances from Gunna and G Herbo. He previously previewed the album with the lead single, “Viral Moment”. Lil Durk mostly recently popped up on G Herbo’s “Chiraq Demons”. Earlier this month, Lil Baby released a deluxe edition of his smash album, My Turn, and Polo G just dropped “DND” from his own upcoming album due out later this month. [embedded content]
