Music News
Damon Albarn Debuts New Orchestral Project During Boiler Room Livestream: Watch
This past weekend would have marked the launch of a spring tour for Damon Albarn’s new orchestral project, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream. But with people only just adapting to the idea of social distancing concerts, those shows have been put on hold for the immediate future. Instead, the Gorillaz and Blur mastermind decided to debut the his new work during a Boiler Room livestream session on Sunday night. Inspired by Albarn’s numerous visits to Iceland, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream is meant to be performed with a full orchestra. Playing the songs from isolation, however, Albarn was accompanied by rehearsal tapes, which he noted were “not finished.” Albarn also spoke of the piece’s title, saying that its origins have taken on new meaning in the pandemic era:...
Peter Hook & The Light’s Performance of Every Joy Division Song Now Streaming: Watch
The surviving members of Joy Division are commemorating the 40th anniversaries of both the band’s final album, Closer, and the death of late frontman Ian Curtis in a number of ways. Today, Peter Hook & The Light get things started with the streaming release of a never-before-seen concert film capturing their performance of Joy Division’s entire catalog. Dubbed So This Is Permanent, the film was recorded during Hook & The Light’s special 2015 performance at the 500-capacity Christ Church in Macclesfield, England, Curtis’ hometown. The gig was celebrating what was then Joy Division’s 35th anniversary, and saw the band play every single song by the iconic post-punk outfit. Speaking to Consequence of Sound for a recent interview, Hook recalled the momentous show. “We pla...
Roger Waters Performs “Mother” in Quarantine: Watch
This period of social isolation has proven quite fruitful for fans of Pink Floyd. In addition to the band’s weekly YouTube concert series, both David Gilmour and Roger Waters have streamed their own distinct solo performances from quarantine. On Sunday, Waters returned with his latest such video: a socially-distant rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Mother”. The video, which you can see below, features Waters and his touring band (including Lucius!) performing The Wall track from their respective homes. “Social distancing is a necessary evil in COVID world,” Waters wrote to introduce the video. “Watching ‘Mother’ reminds me just how irreplaceable the joy of being in a band is.” Waters, who was forced to postpone his “This Is Not a Drill” North American tour because of COVID-19, previously per...
Mike Patton Performs “Speak Spanish or Die” in Quarantine with Stormtroopers of Death: Watch
Faith No More singer Mike Patton has delivered a quarantine performance of “Speak Spanish or Die” with reunited members of Stormtroopers of Death (made up of current and former Anthrax members). The song is a lyrical reworking of title track from S.O.D.’s 1985 debut album, Speak English or Die. Last month, the S.O.D. members — Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian, along with former Anthrax bassist Dan Lilker — unveiled a quarantine performance of “March of the S.O.D.” It marked the first activity from the crossover thrash band since 2007. Patton, meanwhile, had performed “Speak Spanish or Die” during the February run of reunion shows by Mr. Bungle, who featured Scott Ian in their live lineup for those gigs. In the socially distant version of the track, Patton is seen wit...
Matt Bellamy Buys Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” Guitar
When Matt Bellamy heard there was a secret chord, he knew he had to have it. In a recent interview with Guitar World, the Muse frontman revealed he purchased Jeff Buckley’s legendary 1993 blonde USA Fender Telecaster — the very guitar used to record Grace and his biggest hit ever, “Hallelujah” — with the intent of playing it on Muse’s next album. There’s no understating how moving Buckley’s legendary ballad is or the album it comes from, as “Hallelujah” is one of the most popular songs to cover off an album that continues to inspire artists 25 years later. Thankfully, Bellamy didn’t buy the guitar with the intent of framing it and idolizing it as the piece of music history that it is. Instead, he wants to continue using it to make art. “I’ve bought it to actually attempt to use it and inte...
New Music Friday: 6 Songs You Need to Hear
Each Friday, Consequence of Sound rounds up the most exciting new music to hit our inbox. Today, May 15th, brings fresh singles from the likes of OneDa, Christian Lopez, The Sea The Sea, Lila Ikè, American Trappist, and Cat Clyde. Take a listen below, and keep track of all our favorite New Sounds via our exclusive Spotify Playlist. Christian Lopez – “Sick of Me” [embedded content] At just 24 years old, Christian Lopez has made a name for himself as a rock-tinted americana singer-songwriter. The Los Angeles-via-Nashville artist sounds like a cross between Chris Daughtry and The All-American Rejects on his newest single, “Sick of Me”, which uses an explosive chorus to highlight Lopez’s strengths not just as a songwriter, but as a pop-leaning country vocalist. According to Lopez, “Sick of Me”...
Remembering Ronnie James Dio 10 Years After His Passing: Interview with Wendy Dio
It’s been 10 years since the world lost one of the greatest voices of heavy metal and hard rock, the iconic Ronnie James Dio. The singer had a legendary career, ranging from doo-wop bands in the late ’50s to a reunion with his onetime Black Sabbath bandmates as Heaven & Hell in the 21st century. Born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Dio was raised in Cortland, New York, and became a trumpet player at an early age. Eventually, his vocal talents led him to singing in a variety of doo-wop and rock ‘n’ roll bands (including Ronnie Dio and the Redcaps). By the time he became the singer in Elf (earlier going by the name the Electric Elves), he began to find the style of music that best suited his voice – hard rock, and later, heavy metal. Elf opened shows ...
BROCKHAMPTON Share New Songs “M.O.B” and “twisted”: Stream
BROCKHAMPTON are turning quarantine into a music goldmine. Once again, the boy band have released two new songs, “M.O.B” and “twisted”, following the tracks they dropped last week. Apparently this will be a regular habit. “M.O.B” and “twisted” follow “N.S.T.” and “things can’t stay the same”, which BROCKHAMPTON dropped last week during a password-protected livestream. Reportedly, BROCKHAMPTON will be releasing new music every Friday for the foreseeable future on private streams via TechnicalDifficulties.Club. However, last week’s songs are no longer available on YouTube, notes Pitchfork, which could potentially mean fans have a limited amount of time in which to stream the music after it’s released. “M.O.B” opens by sampling the intro to Bunny Sigler’s 1974 song “Shake Your Booty”, as made...
Keith Urban Performs Drive-In Concert, Exclusively for First Responders
Keith Urban performs first American drive-in concert, exclusively for first responders Taking a page from those in Germany and Denmark, country music superstar Keith Urban performed one of America’s first pandemic-era drive-in concerts on Thursday. Even better, it was held exclusively for first responders. The private, unannounced event took place just 45 minutes east of Nashville at the Stardust Drive-In Movie Theater. A resident of Music City, Urban played an hour-long set for a crowd comprised of more than 200 doctors, nurses, and other emergency medical employees from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. According to a press statement, there were nearly 125 parked vehicles in attendance, all safely spaced apart, and they each honked and flashed their lights throughout the show in supp...
Sharon Van Etten and Josh Homme Team for Cover of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”: Stream
Sharon Van Etten and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme have joined forces for a modernized rendition of the classic plea for harmony “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”. But whereas Nick Lowe’s original and Elvis Costello’s popular cover layered hope with frustration, Van Etten and Homme’s take weighs heavier in the COVID-19 era. Theirs is a twangy, lamenting version, as if the lack of change between Lowe’s 1974 recording and the world in 2020 has only weighed down the lyrics. Still, darker though it may be, there is a tone of resilience in their voices as they harmonize on the lines, “So where are the strong?/ And who are the trusted?/ And where is the harmony?” After all, belief that things can and will be better is the only way we’re going to get through times lik...
The Pretty Reckless Return with Heavy New Song “Death by Rock and Roll”: Stream
The Pretty Reckless are back with the new single, “Death by Rock and Roll”, a guitar-driven anthem highlighted by singer Taylor Momsen’s powerful pipes. The new song comes shortly after it was announced that the band had signed a new deal with Fearless Records. The track kicks off with a heavy guitar riff and features Momsen singing about the deaths of various characters, ending each of their stories with, “But on my tombstone when I go/ Just put ‘Death by Rock and Roll’.” Momsen’s vocals range from silky smooth in the verses to a full-on scream toward the end of the song. “In a lot of ways, this new album feels like a rebirth and our first single, ‘Death by Rock and Roll’, represents that salvation that my favorite music brings me,” said Momsen in a press release. “Rock is freedom and thi...
Rico Nasty Shares Cute Ode to “My Little Alien”: Stream
Rico Nasty flaunted her nasty bite on brawny, edgy singles like “Hard” and “Lightning”. Today, the young rapper is showing us a more kid-friendly side to her flow on “My Little Alien”, her contribution to the new Scooby-Doo movie. On the cute trap-pop treat, Rico talks about an unconventional and literal otherworldly crush. “You’re my little alien/ You came down from out of the sky/ People don’t know what you are/ And I couldn’t explain it if I tried,” she sing-raps on the chorus. It might be a stretch to dub it a “love is love” tune in time for Pride month, but Rico did just DJ one of the hottest queer Zoom raves this week. Hear it for yourself below, followed by the full soundtrack for Scoob!, which also features Best Coast covering the classic Scooby-Doo theme song. Editors’ ...
