music
Playboi Carti Will Release New Album Whole Lotta Red on Christmas
Yes, it’s actually happening. Playboi Carti will finally release his long-awaited sophomore album Whole Lotta Red on Christmas Day. The Atlanta rapper has been teasing the follow-up to his visionary 2018 record Die Lit for over two years, revealing its title back in August 2018 and detailing it throughout 2019. Back in April of this year, he dropped its lead single “@ MEH”, which led many people to believe that the album would arrive before the summer. It didn’t, but Carti said that album was “turned in” to his label on November 23rd, and last week some eagle-eyed fans spotted promotional graffiti that seemed to indicate that Whole Lotta Red would finally be seeing the light of day on Christmas. In typical cryptic Carti fashion, the rapper has eschewed a tracklist ...
Talking Heads to Receive 2021 Lifetime Achievement Grammy
A month after revealing the nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards (and completely shutting out The Weeknd), the Recording Academy has revealed the recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards. Perhaps a sign of the Academy’s continued attempt to clean up its image with a diversity push, the 2021 Lifetime Achievement honorees include icons from a range of genres. Talking Heads, Selena, and Salt-N-Pepa will all receive the Special Merit gramophones, as will Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, opera singer Marilyn Horne, and late jazz great Lionel Hampton. The Talking Heads’ accolade is particularly noteworthy, as the legendary alt-rock group never received a Grammy during their existence. Their lone nomination came in 1984 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for “Burning...
Queen’s Brian May Recalls Recording Sci-Fi EP with Eddie Van Halen
Brian May, photo by David Brendan Hall / Eddie Van Halen, photo by Philip Cosores Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May has paid tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen by recalling the time the two recorded the sci-fi themed Star Fleet Project EP in 1983. “A couple of days after I heard the news about Eddie, I went back to Star Fleet,” May told Total Guitar. “I started revisiting all the feelings I had when we were in the studio doing that, and it sort of healed my soul a bit. I thought, ‘Yeah, this is what I should be doing at this time.’” The three-song, 28-minute release was officially released under the “Brian May + Friends” moniker on October 31st, 1983. The EP favored a heavy blues rock sound and also featured REO Speedwagon drummer Alan Gratzer and session musicians Phil Chen and Fr...
Nickelback Hilariously Spoof Own “Photograph” Video for Google Photos Commercial: Watch
Nickelback have long been one of rock’s most parodied acts, but the latest mockery of the band comes courtesy of Nickelback themselves. The Canadian rockers have hilariously spoofed their own “Photograph” video in a new commercial for Google Photos. The multiplatinum group’s 2005 music video has been the inspiration for countless memes and even a Donald Trump tweet that was eventually blocked by the band over copyright issues. The image of frontman Chad Kroeger holding up a picture frame, with the words “Look at this photograph”, provides a blank slate for endless fun. In the Google commercial, Nickelback are poking fun at the original song and video with newly written lyrics that even dare make fun of Chad Kroeger’s signature curly locks: “Falling down the photo rabbit hole/ Is it my hair...
Frank Zappa’s Birthday Celebrated with New Branded IPA
Celebrate Frank Zappa’s birthday (December 21st) this year with the perfect boozy stocking stuffer: the Zappa-inspired “Why Does It Hurt When IPA?”. The new and cleverly titled beer is a collaboration between the Zappa Family Trust and San Diego’s Duckfoot Brewery Company. The West Coast-style IPA is brewed with so-called “ZAPPA hops”, Simcoe and Cascade, said to be as “hugely eclectic” as the late rock icon himself. According to a press statement, the beverage promises “notes of passion fruit, spice and grapefruit,” a noted favorite of Zappa’s. In addition to these bright flavors, the packaging for the new beer features never-before-published photos of Zappa himself playing guitar while sitting on the toilet. Indeed, this IPA loves to fold in all the jokes: there’s Zappa on the can a...
Hayley Williams Covers Massive Attack, St. Vincent Sings The Beatles at Ally Coalition Talent Show: Watch
Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, Lana Del Rey, photos via The Ally Coalition Each year, Jack Antonoff and his sister Rachel Antonoff host a talent show to raise money for their charitable organization The Ally Coalition, which supports LGBTQ+ youth. Because of the pandemic, this year’s event took place virtually, with performance from the likes of St. Vincent, Hayley Williams, Sleater-Kinney, Lana Del Rey, Spoon, The Chicks, and more. Among the notable moments: Hayley Williams covered Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” in her bathrobe; St. Vincent’s Annie Clark sang The Beatles’ “Martha My Dear”; and Lana Del Rey crooned “Silent Night”. The evening also saw Maggie Rogers play “Blood Ballet”, one of the rarities included on her new archival collection, and Clairo covered Norah Jones’ “Sunrise”. Super...
Trent Reznor on Approach to Adding Nine Inch Nails Members to Rock Hall Induction: “Make This F**king Happen”
Last month, Nine Inch Nails were officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Initially, Trent Reznor was set to be the only member enshrined, but the NIN mastermind saw to it that other members of the industrial band were inducted, as well. Nine Inch Nails were announced as part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2020 back in January, with an induction ceremony originally set for May in Cleveland. The ceremony was eventually canceled due to the pandemic, and the 2020 inductees were instead honored with a November television special on HBO. In September, it was revealed that six current and former members of Nine Inch Nails — Atticus Ross, Robin Finck, Chris Vrenna, Danny Lohner, Ilan Rubin, and Alessandro Cortini — would be added to the Rock Hall induction al...
Darkside Reunite for New Album Spiral, Share “Liberty Bell”: Stream
After six long years, the wait is finally over: Darkside have returned. The electronic music duo of Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington has announced a new album, Spiral, due out Spring 2021 via Matador Records, as well as shared a lead single called “Liberty Bell”. Formed nearly a decade ago, Darkside found critical acclaim thanks to their 2013 full-length debut, Psychic. Their time in the spotlight was very short-lived, however, as Jaar and Harrington announced their “indefinite hiatus” less than a year later. According to a statement, Spiral was completed in December 2019. It was then mastered by Heba Kadry (Beach House, Slowdive) and mixed by Rashad Becker. Today’s release of “Liberty Bell” provides a first look at what to expect from the forthcoming sophomore album. And it appears to be ...
Lil Durk Pays Tribute to King Von with New Single “Backdoor”: Stream
Lil Durk has released a new song called “Backdoor” dedicated to fellow Chicago rapper and King Von who was fatally shot outside of a nightclub in November. The third single from upcoming album The Voice, it sees Lil Durk protecting himself from his enemies and staying vigilant so as not to end up like his fallen friend. “Before you leave that door, you gotta pick that glock up,” he says, later adding, “I’m riding around with choppers.” In the track’s corresponding video from JerryPHD, Lil Durk sports King Von’s own signature O’Block chain around his neck. As Complex points out, he also shared a text exchange on Instagram confirming his choice of jewelry. Watch the “Backdoor” video below. Lil Durk previously shared The Voice single “Stay Down” featuring Young Thug and 6LACK. This ...
Steel Panther Just Performed Three Concerts at Packed Venues in Florida: Watch
Steel Panther in St. Petersburg, Florida, via YouTube Despite a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases over the past several weeks, Steel Panther performed three headlining concerts to packed crowds in Florida over the past few days. According to video footage and photographs, most of the audience members were not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. The hair-metal parody act was joined on the bill by Southern rockers Black Stone Cherry in Orlando on Thursday (December 17th); St. Petersburg on Friday (December 18th); and Fort Myers on Saturday (December 19th). As MetalSucks reports, the shows were packed with maskless people, and looked very much like pre-pandemic concerts. While the venues posted messages stating that they would require temperature checks, masks (when people were no...
COVID-19 Relief Package Includes Provision Making Illegal Streaming a Felony
As is often the case when it comes to massive legislation spanning thousands of pages of text, lawmakers attached some unrelated line items to the latest COVID-19 relief package. Chief among them, as The Hollywood Reporter points out, is a provision that makes illegal streaming a felony. Introduced by North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis earlier this month, the “Felony Streaming” copyright proposal attaches felony penalties to commercial platforms which are dedicated exclusively to streaming unlicensed works. If found guilty of such actions, operators of these platforms could face up to 10 years in prison. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar proposed similar legislation nearly a decade ago, but the bill was met with blowback as it left open the possibility for content creators — such a...
R.I.P. Pelle Alsing, Roxette Drummer Dead at 60
Pelle Alsing, best known as the drummer for Swedish pop-rock band Roxette, has died at the age of 60. A cause of death hasn’t been revealed at this time. Roxette co-founder Per Gessle announced the news on the group’s social media on Sunday. “It is with indescribable sadness I have to inform you that our beloved Pelle Alsing has passed away. It’s almost impossible to grasp,” he wrote. “Pelle was not only an amazing and inventive drummer, helping us to create the Roxette sound since Day One, he was also the best friend you can imagine, a kind and generous human being with the biggest heart beating for everyone,” Gessle continued, adding: “He was always the funniest to be around, the one with the biggest smile on his face, the one who supported you the most when you were in doubt. He will be...
