music
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr Pay Tribute to John Lennon on 40th Anniversary of His Death
Today, December 8th, marks the 40th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. The Beatles’ two surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, have both posted tributes to their former bandmate, as have Lennon’s two sons, Sean and Julian. “A sad sad day but remembering my friend John with the great joy he brought to the world,” wrote McCartney in a social media post. “I will always be proud and happy to have known and worked with this incredible Scouse X love Paul.” McCartney’s tribute was accompanied by a photo of the two musicians together as taken by his late wife, Linda McCartney. A sad sad day but remembering my friend John with the great joy he brought to the world. I will always be proud and happy to have known and worked with this incredible Scouser! X love Paul#JohnLennon 📷 b...
Kim Gordon, J. Mascis, and Fred Armisen Perform New Song “Abstract Blues”: Watch
Kim Gordon and J. Mascis during SMooCH 2020 The SMooCH livestream benefit for Seattle Children’s Hospital boasted an absolutely stacked lineup. In addition to Ben Gibbard, Duff McKagan, Isaac Brock, and Mark Lanegan teaming up to cover the Jimmy Webb classic “The Highwayman”, the hour-long event featured Kim Gordon, J. Mascis, and Fred Armisen debuting a new original song called “Abstract Blues”. Technically, these three played together before during Fred Armisen’s 2013 SNL farewell segment, but here the Sonic Youth frontperson, Dinosaur Jr. mastermind, and actor-musician operated as a fully-fledged band. The song features gnarled vocals from Gordon, flaming hot licks from Mascis, and a tight bassline from Armisen. It’s unclear whether this track was just a one-off creation for this event,...
Katy Kirby Curls Up in a “Cool Dry Place” on New Song: Stream
Up-and-coming indie rocker Katy Kirby is trying to decode the best way to go through life as a young adult. The most useful tool to do so is self-reflection, and she’s got plenty of it on her latest single, “Cool Dry Place”, which you can stream below. The song comes from Kirby’s upcoming debut album, Cool Dry Place, due out February 19th via Keeled Scales/Secretly. What starts off as a stripped-down, whisper-sung melody builds into a sweeping folk-rock ballad on “Cool Dark Place”. Kirby sings about her restlessness in a relationship with comforting vocal tones, but come the end, she inverts that subtle shiftiness with a gut-busting, deconstructed guitar solo that recalls Big Thief and early (Sandy) Alex G. In a statement, Kirby elaborated on the ways in which “Cool Dry Place” is a mu...
Rico Nasty Expands Her Repertoire on Debut Nightmare Vacation: Review
The Lowdown: Rico Nasty has always been a powerhouse, existing on the edge of Soundcloud rap in the mid-2010s while still finishing high school. Her infectious, aggressive-yet-bubbly style made waves on the Internet early on, attracting the attention of Lil Yachty in 2016 to remix her song “Hey Arnold” and being featured in the hit HBO series insecure in 2017. Combining her eclectic fashion sense with spitfire raps that effortlessly bounce between sex and violence makes her one of the biggest pieces in the growing mosaic of this new era of female rappers. Her long-awaited debut album, Nightmare Vacation, takes a fine-tooth comb through the style that has made her one of the most influential rappers of the past few years. With seven mixtapes under her belt, Rico sounds like a seasoned veter...
Sinéad O’Connor Announces New Memoir Rememberings
Sinéad O’Connor will recount her life story in a new memoir titled Rememberings. The book is due to hit shelves on June 1st through publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books & Media. According to a statement, the 256-page release will see O’Connor examining the pivotal, defining moments — both professionally- and personally-speaking — of her life. And for the the outspoken and oftentimes controversial Irish songwriter, there are many. O’Connor will look back on her early years in Dublin, where as a child she grew up in an abusive household and sought comfort in her Bob Dylan record collection. There will also be sections dedicated to the first local Irish bands she played with, as well as debut album The Lion and the Cobra, which she recorded while eight months pregnant. Editors&#...
Kid Cudi to Release Man on the Moon III: The Chosen This Friday
Kid Cudi has been teasing the final installment in his Man on the Moon trilogy for months now. Thankfully, the wait is almost over. The rapper revealed earlier today that Man on the Moon III: The Chosen is due out this Friday, December 11th via Republic, bringing a decade-long narrative silence to an end. When breaking the news, Cudi shared some crucial details about Man on the Moon III: The Chosen. The album is broken up into four parts — Act 1: Return 2 Madness; Act 2: The Rager, The Menace; Act 3: Heart of Rose Gold; and Act 4: Powers — that span 18 tracks in total. Throughout it, he brought in Pop Smoke, Skepta, Trippie Redd, and Phoebe Bridgers (!) to collaborate on a few songs. Cudi began this trilogy years ago when he dropped Man on the Moon: The End of the Day in 2009 and Man ...
North Kingsley (Shavo Odadjian) Unleash “False Idols” Featuring Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA: Stream
North Kingsley, the side-project of System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, have released a new three-song EP, Vol. 2, their second of 2020. The group has also shared a music video for politically charged lead single “False Idols”, which features RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. The track epitomizes North Kingsley’s groove-laden take on alternative hip-hop and the strong political views that seem to accompany Odadjian’s projects. North Kingsley vocalist/lyricist Ray Hawthorne takes centerstage on the song, with the video featuring the band’s members wearing masks of Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton. “We, as individuals, empower and idolize people who care for their own interests above ours,” vocalist/lyricist Hawthorne said in the press release. “We need to recognize that. We need to ...
Ben Gibbard, Isaac Brock, Duff McKagan, and Mark Lanegan Cover “The Highwayman”: Watch
At the very least, the ongoing lockdown has resulted in some very odd musical pairings that likely wouldn’t have happened otherwise. The latest of these went down on December 5th, when Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan, Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, and Mark Lanegan teamed up to cover the Jimmy Webb country classic, “The Highwayman”. The collaboration was part of SMooCH 2020, an annual benefit show for the Seattle Children’s Hospital that usually takes place in person, but was converted into livestream form this year for obvious reasons. The Seattle institutions Sub Pop Records and KEXP were two of the event’s biggest sponsors, so it made sense that both elite and slightly left-of-center members of the rock world were featured in the presentation. For their ...
Anthrax’s Scott Ian Unveils New SGT D Guitar Pedal
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has teamed up with KHDK Electronics for a limited-edition signature SGT D guitar pedal. Stylized with the infamous Sargent D mascot from Ian’s crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.), the two-in-one pedal functions as a boost/pre-distortion EQ control and has another section for amp modeling that emulates the guitarist’s S.O.D.-era tones. To top it off, as you play, the tip of Sgt. D’s cigar lights up red. “Get this if you want to stop shitting in people’s ears with your ass tone,” states the Sgt. D (aka Ian) in the product description. “Scott knew what he wanted — a ruthlessly vicious pedal that captures his S.O.D. amp tone,” David Karon of KHDK wrote. “Of course, the absolute maniac that he is, he also wanted it to work as a magical booster and m...
Cyndi Lauper Announces Holiday Concert with Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Phoebe Bridgers
Cyndi Lauper’s annual holiday concert will take the form of a star-studded livestream featuring performances and appearances from the likes of Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Dolly Parton, Cher, and more. Lauper’s 10th annual “Home for the Holidays” benefit concert will premiere on Friday, December 11th exclusively on her TikTok channel at 8PM ET, with an additional stream scheduled for Sunday, December 13th on Lauper’s YouTube and Facebook pages at 8PM ET. Proceeds from the event will benefit True Colors United, Lauper’s charitable organization which seeks to prevent and end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Other scheduled participants include Brittany Howard, King Princess, Kim Petras, Henry Rollins, Amanda S...
John Carpenter Shares Chilling New Song “The Dead Walk”: Stream
In February, John Carpenter will drop Lost Themes III: Alive After Death, his first non-soundtrack album in almost five years. After teasing the release with “Weeping Ghost” just a few days before Halloween, the Master of Horror is back now with “The Dead Walk”. As with his previous Lost Themes II from 2016, Carpenter here is working alongside son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. Together, the three here conjure a moment straight out of a classic Italian giallo — think specifically of a zombie chase scene that takes place inside of an old Gothic church. Icy piano feels tingly to the touch, while dissonant synths hint at the evil lurking behind the confessional. Around the 1:36 mark, synthesized industrial guitar riffs drop into the mix, adding an extra layer of crunch and...
Flatbush Zombies’ Erick the Architect Announces Debut Solo Project, Shares “Let It Go”: Stream
Erick the Architect, co-founder and primary producer for Flatbush Zombies, has announced his debut solo EP Future Proof. It’s out January 22nd, and he’s offering a preview with the new single “Let It Go” featuring Loyle Carner and FARR. Over the last few years, Erick Elliot has gone from one of the primary drivers of the Flatbush Zombies’ distinctive sound to a sought-after producer in his own right. He recently produced on James Blake’s Before EP, and according to a statement he is currently collaborating on different projects with Blake and Joey Bada$$. Now this beloved co-worker is set to strike out on his own with Future Proof . The five-track effort was produced by Linden Jay and features contributions from Col3trane, Sophie Faith, and Pip Millett. In addition to produ...
