Music News
Reignwolf Fights “Cabin Fever” with New Song Recorded in His Garage: Stream
Jordan Cook of Reignwolf has been isolating like the rest of us, and like the rest of us he’s going a bit crazy. He’s channeled those emotions into the new quarantine banger “Cabin Fever”. Cook recorded the song in his garage using one mic and a a 4-track recorder. He pounded out that violent drum beat himself, while attacking the guitar riffs with nervous, almost jittery fingers. The lyrics are urgent and wild. “I go insane! Insane! Insane! Insane!/ Wait for tomorrow to be yesterday.” In a statement, he explained how the song came together with “tension” baked in. “The song came together quickly and I didn’t want to wait to record it so I used what was available. I dusted off the 4-track, set up a single mic in the garage and went to work. It felt like old times when I used to r...
Not Even Journey Is Safe From the Coronavirus
Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” may have become the anthem for survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the band itself isn’t immune to the consequences of the global pandemic. With the live music industry shuttered for the foreseeable future, the classic rockers have called off their upcoming summer upcoming jaunt with Pretenders. (It seems like playing shows only in Missouri wasn’t a viable option). “There is no greater thrill for us than playing for our incredibly devoted audience, but their safety must come first,” Journey said in a statement. “Having seen what the world has endured during the last 45 days, and not knowing what the rest of this year or 2021 will bring, we knew the right thing to do was to make sure our fans’ health was not put in jeopardy and to provide immediate...
R.I.P. Dave Greenfield, Stranglers Keyboardist and Vocalist Dies at 71
Dave Greenfield, the longtime keyboardist and vocalist for UK punk rock / new wave band The Stranglers has passed away at the age of 71. The veteran musician had been hospitalized for heart problems, but then contracted COVID-19 last week and succumbed to the virus on Monday, May 3rd. Greenfield joined The Stranglers in 1975, a year after the band’s formation. He remained in the group up until his death, playing keyboards and providing backing and occasional lead vocals. He appeared on all 17 of seminal punk band’s albums, and wrote the music for one of their best known hits, “Golden Brown”. That tune won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for songwriting. The news of Greenfield’s passing was announced on the band’s official website: “We are deeply and profoundly saddened to announce the u...
DJ Jazzy Jeff to Host Fresh Prince Virtual Block Party
Summer, summer, summertime is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air block party? In honor of the timeless TV show’s 30th anniversary, DJ Jazzy Jeff is hosting “Break the Monotony”, an all-day, star-studded virtual concert event via Instagram Live. Named after lyrics from Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “Summertime” smash, the virtual block party will honor “the music, style, and community of The Fresh Prince,” per a statement. The tunes will be provided by a long list of special DJs, including DJ Jazzy Jeff himself and the King of Instagram Live parties, DJ D-Nice. Also slated to spin one-hour sets are Just Blaze, DJ Clark Kent, Bryan-Michael Cox, Neil Armstrong, Crespo, Dede Lovelace, and Four Color Zack, among others. The “Break ...
#MetallicaMondays: Watch Metallica’s 2016 “House of Vans” London Show in Full
Metallica are back with another concert stream, continuing their weekly #MetallicaMondays series. Today’s offering is of the band’s 2016 “House of Vans” gig in London. The “House of Vans” show came on the same day (November 18th, 2016) that Metallica’s most recent album, Hardwired … To Self-Destruct, was released. The set featured 15 songs, including three from the new LP, among classics like “One”, “Master of Puppets”, and “Enter Sandman”. Metallica announced the free streaming series after postponing or canceling their spring shows due to the coronavirus pandemic. Their South American outing with Greta Van Fleet was rescheduled to December, and headlining festival slots at Epicenter and Welcome to Rockville were canceled. Metallica were also slated to headline the Louder Than Life Festiv...
The US is Getting Its First Drive-In Concert Tour
Regardless of what Missouri and Arkansas say, the prospect of live music in a confined venue setting seems implausible for the foreseeable future. Instead, musicians in countries like Denmark and Germany have gotten creative by staging “drive-in” concerts in which attendees watch from the safety of their vehicle. Now, electronic musician Marc Rebillet has announced the first drive-in concert tour in the US. Rebillet will embark on the seven-date drive-in tour beginning in June, with socially distant concerts scheduled in North Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. In lieu of opening acts, each show will screen short films. Additionally, attendees will be able to purchase merchandise, food, and more. Check out the full itinerary below (specific venue information is still forthcoming). Rebi...
Watsky Attempting to Break World Record with 33-Hour Freestyle: Watch
Bay Area rapper Watsky was looking forward to touring behind his latest album, Placement — that was, until the coronavirus derailed his plans. Now with nothing but time on his hands, the notable Def Poetry Jam alum has decided to spend his quarantine setting a world record for the longest freestyle. The MC born George Watsky is specifically aiming to rhyme for a mind-boggling 33 hours and 33 minutes straight. If he’s successful, he will break the Guinness World Record for the Longest Continuous Rap Performance, which is currently held by Pablo Alvarez’s nearly 26-hour triumph set in 2016. The 33-year-old Watsky kicked off his mission Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. PT and is hoping to make it to the finish line that’s set for Thursday, May 7th, 7:30 p.m. In true quarantine fashion, Watsk...
Radiohead Streaming Legendary Bonnaroo 2006 Concert on YouTube
Radiohead are continuing their quarantine concert series and releasing another gem from the vault. Today, Thursday May 7th, the legendary rockers are sharing footage from their legendary 2006 performance at Bonnaroo. Tune in below beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The Bonnaroo performance arrived three years after Hail to the Thief and a year before Radiohead’s most recent consensus masterpiece, 2007’s In Rainbows. What’s remarkable is how much of In Rainbows they played: “15 Step”, “Bodysnatchers”, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”, “Nude”, “House of Cards”, and “Videotape” all made appearances. They played more In Rainbows than they did Hail to the Thief! Via Setlist.fm, they also performed six songs from OK Computer, five from Kid A, and four from Amnesi...
Lollapalooza Opens the Vault on Foo Fighters’ Classic 2011 Concert
Lollapalooza is hoping to wait out the coronavirus pandemic, delaying the lineup announcement but not cancelling just yet. In the meantime, the Chicago institution has begun releasing classic performances from the vault. First up was The Strokes 2010 comeback concert, and now today, Thursday May 7th, the festival has shared the Foo Fighters’ legendary show from 2011. Tune in below beginning at 8:00 p.m. EDT. That 20-song gig was notable for bad weather and a great performance to overcome it. “I don’t give a fuck if it’s raining tonight!” frontman Dave Grohl howled into the audience. The torrential downpour reached its zenith during “My Hero”, as the audience shouted along in one wild and muddy mass. At the end of the show, Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction joined Grohl on stage for a ...
Sheryl Crow Covers George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness” on Colbert: Watch
Sheryl Crow appeared remotely on Tuesday night’s episode of Late Show With Stephen Colbert to perform a cover of George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness”. In introducing the song, Crow called Harrison “one of my favorite artists of all time”. Watch her brilliant piano performance below. “Beware of Darkness” originally appeared on Harrison’s 1970 album, All Things Must Pass, and Crow recently released a recorded version of the song as part of her latest album, 2019’s Threads. She spoke about Threads, collaborations with Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, and more during a past appearance on Kyle Meredith With…, which you can also revisit below. [embedded content] [embedded content]
Little Simz Releases New EP Drop 6: Stream
Little Simz has released the new EP called Drop 6. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Drop 6 is her first solo release since last year’s excellent LP GREY Area, one of our favorite albums of 2019. The rising UK artist — whom Kenrdrick Lamar once said “might be the illest doing it right now” — recorded the new EP during one month of quarantine. Little Simz produced the tracks herself, with additional production from Kal Banx, BLK VYNL, St Francis Hotel, and OTG. While she started the EP at the beginning of April and finished it by the end, the interim was filled self-doubt and depression. In a statement, she wrote about getting in her own head, thinking, “‘This isn’t good enough, people won’t like this, it’s shit, the mix is trash,’ everything negative under the...
