music
R.I.P. Ken Chinn (a.k.a. Mr. Chi Pig), Singer of Punk Band SNFU Dies at 57
Ken Chinn (aka Mr. Chi Pig) of SNFU Ken Chinn (a.k.a. Mr. Chi Pig), the singer of influential Canadian hardcore-punk band SNFU, has died at the age of 57. No cause of death has been disclosed, but the vocalist previously revealed in a December 2019 interview with Beatroute that he was in failing health and had a short time to live. The origins of SNFU — short for Society’s No F**king Use — date back to 1981, when Chinn first formed the punk band Live Sex Shows in Edmonton with twin-brother guitarists Marc and Brent Belke. While that outfit would break up later that year, the three musicians re-formed as SNFU shortly thereafter, going through a series of drummers and bassists throughout the ’80s. From 1985 through 1988, they released three albums, beginning with their debut, …And No One Els...
England to Allow Indoor Concerts Beginning Next Month
Earlier this week, veteran talent agent and Lollapalooza co-founder Marc Geiger predicted that concerts likely won’t return in the US until 2022 — a much bleaker timeline than the one previously provided by health experts. Meanwhile, our friends across the Atlantic will allow indoor concerts to take place beginning August 1st, 2020. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed the news on Friday, July 17th, as part of a larger discussion about the UK entering stage 4 of their five-stage reopening plan. While live indoor events will be allowed to return, there will be a strict set of guidelines in place, including social distancing measures, reduced capacity for venues, required online ticketing, frequent sanitization of sites, and staggered performance schedules. “The UK’s performing arts...
The Regrettes Fall Head Over Heels on New Single “I Love Us”: Stream
Two months after dropping the dreamy quarantine hit “What Am I Gonna Do Today?”, The Regrettes are back with a brand new track called “I Love Us”. It’s been paired with an adorable animated music video, as well, which you can watch below.. Whereas the band’s last song felt like a continuation of their 2019 album How Do You Love?, this new single is full of pep and optimism. Perhaps frontwoman Lydia Night spending quarantine with her boyfriend Dylan Minnette has helped her realize not even constant close contact can drive them apart. Still, as chipper as “I Love Us” is, it could be read two ways: A celebration of falling in love with someone and accepting them for who they are around you, or a cautious read on being head over heels for someone who comes with baggage. Either way, it’s c...
Jarv Is… (Jarvis Cocker) Release Debut Album Beyond the Pale: Stream
Following a number of coronavirus-related postponements, Jarv Is…, the new band led by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, have finally released their debut album. Stream Beyond the Pale in full below via Apple Music or Spotify. For a high-definition listening experience, you can sign up for a 60-day free trial of TIDAL HiFi. Issued through Rough Trade Records, this album marks the first-ever full-length for Jarv Is… and Cocker’s first release of any kind since 2009’s Further Complications. Although it’s tempting to call Beyond the Pale a long-awaited comeback for Cocker, it should be viewed more as a creative reinvention. Along with his bandmates Serafina Steer (harp, keyboards, vocals), Emma Smith (violin, guitar vocals), Andrew McKinney (bass, vocals), Jason Buckle (synthesizer and ...
Open Mike Eagle Drops New Song “Neighborhood Protection Spell (Lana Del Biden Nem)”: Stream
After wrapping up a prolific year in 2019, Open Mike Eagle still had a lot on his mind — and rightfully so. From a global pandemic to a jumbled party of political nominees, this year hasn’t exactly gotten off to the best start. So he did what any talented rapper would do: pick up a mic and recorded a new song. It just so happens that the single, “Neighborhood Protection Spell (Lana Del Biden Nem)”, is as prescient as it is astute. According to The New Negroes star, he decided to write the song because felt like public figures were regularly taking aim at the Black community, seemingly without even realizing it. Instead of venting about the ignorance of and low-flying racist remarks by celebrities — especially, but not excluded to, Joe Biden and Lana Del Rey — he chose to turn his obse...
Song of the Week: beabadoobee’s “Care” Reminds Us That It’s Actually Summer
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify New Sounds playlist. Let’s play some catchup. 2020 began with all the musical anticipation of a new year and fresh decade. Then, when COVID-19 initially struck the States, music became an afterthought as we watched major albums delayed and highly anticipated tours postponed into oblivion. Then music became a lifeline as we huddled indoors and waited for the world to end. We listened to “quarantine albums,” found comfort in online fireside or bathtub sessions, and began marking Instagram shows on our calendars as if they were actual concerts. Then, the George Floyd murder shook the world, and we needed music to cry to, to scream to, and, most importantl...
Protomartyr Serve Up New Album Ultimate Success Today: Stream
After a brief pandemic-related delay, post-punk greats Protomartyr are back with their fifth studio album, Ultimate Success Today. Stream it in full below via Apple Music or Spotify. For a high-definition listening experience, you can sign up for a 60-day free trial of TIDAL HiFi. The Domino-released collection follows 2017’s Relatives in Descent and was co-produced by Protomartyr themselves alongside David Tolomei (Dirty Projectors, Beach House). Sessions took place at Dreamland Recording Studios, situated in a 19th century church in upstate New York, and featured guest contributors in legendary jazz alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc and vocalist Nandi Rose, aka Half Waif. Izaak Mills (bass clarinet, sax, flute) and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm also joined the band in the studio. In a sta...
10-Year-Old Nandi Bushell Rocks Audioslave’s “Cochise” with Guitar Tom Morello Gifted Her: Watch
Ten-year-old musician Nandi Bushell has made great use out of a guitar that was just gifted to her by Tom Morello, performing the Audioslave hit “Cochise” in her latest YouTube video. Not to mention, she also rocks the drums and bass in the impressive clip. Nandi previously wowed Morello with a performance of Rage Against the Machine’s “Guerrilla Radio”, in which she also played all three instruments. The RATM guitarist was so impressed that he shipped her one of his new Fender Soul Power Stratocaster signature guitars, along with delivering her a personal video message. Instead of putting the guitar in a display case, Nandi did what every good young rocker should do, and jammed Audioslave’s “Cochise” with the Stratocaster. A fitting choice considering that the Soul Power is modeled a...
The Chicks Perform “March March”, Talk Dropping “Dixie” on Colbert: Watch
When the pandemic hit and lockdown was initiated, Stephen Colbert was forced to abandon the iconic Ed Sullivan Theater. His last guests scheduled to appear at the New York City landmark were the then-named Dixie Chicks, but they were understandably bumped in favor of CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta. On Thursday night, the group now called just The Chicks were finally able to make up that missed appearance on The Late Show with a remote performance of “March March” and a discussion about their new moniker. Asked why they’d chosen now to drop “Dixie” from their name, lead singer Natalie Maines said a change was always in the works. “Well, it’s because of everything that’s going on in the world. It was about time; we’ve wanted to change it for a long time, actually,” she explaine...
Yo La Tengo Release Instrumental EP We Have Amnesia Sometimes: Stream
At the start of the week, Yo La Tengo popped up on Bandcamp with an instrumental track called “James and Ira demonstrate mysticism and some confusion holds”. A new jam appeared each following day, and it’s all culminated today with the reveal of a full five-song EP called We Have Amnesia Sometimes. Stream it below. The collection stems from a series of sessions that saw the trio “playing formlessly” in late April and early May. Yo La Tengo had escaped to their Hoboken, New Jersey rehearsal space to “push away the outside world” while safely social distancing. As Ira Kaplan explains in a press release, “In late April, with the outside world weighing on everybody, we determined that the three of us could assemble in Hoboken without disobeying the rules laid out by Governor Murphy, and resume...
Ozzy Osbourne Begins Work on Another New Album
Ozzy Osbourne released his first solo LP in a decade earlier this year, but the metal godfather is already hard at work on the follow-up album. Moreover, he continues to recover from his various health setbacks, with his wife Sharon reporting that he’s “getting stronger every day.” The legendary singer revealed earlier this year that he’s been battling Parkinson’s disease, admitting he was first diagnosed in 2003. Additionally, he suffered a nasty fall at his home in 2019, forcing him to postpone all of his touring last year. He was supposed to make up the dates this year, but canceled the tour prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to continue to recover from his injuries and seek treatment for his Parkinson’s battle. In the midst of his health issues, Ozzy was able to record and release...
Billy Joel Stops to Play Random Piano on Sidewalk: Watch
In a new viral video, Billy Joel can be seen playing a random piano on the sidewalk in Huntington, New York. This means one of two things: he’s either extremely bored during quarantine, or he takes his title as “Piano Man” way too seriously. In the video, which was filmed last month, the 71-year-old musician seemingly takes a pit stop from a motorcycle ride to play Shelton Brooks’ 1917 ragtime hit “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” on an old piano (via Billboard). After playing around with the instrument, he tests out the pedals, looks at the finish on the keys, and asks a person off-camera — presumably the former owner — why they’re getting rid of an otherwise functional piano. “Not bad! The action is good! Just needs tuning, and the finish is beat. It’s a perfectly good piano! It’s a shame ...
