New Wave
Echo & The Bunnymen’s 40th Anniversary Tour Off to a Rough Start Due to Ian McCulloch Illness: Review
Echo and the Bunnymen have embarked on a long-awaited tour in celebration of their 40th anniversary, though things were off to a rocky start at Atlanta’s Tabernacle concert hall on Monday night (August 15th). Dubbed “Celebrating 40 Years of Magical Songs,” the tour (grab tickets here) kickoff saw both longtime and Gen Z-aged fans rubbing shoulders with each other like friends, with everyone seeming to be in agreement that the Liverpool act won’t be on the road forever. Save for a few festival sets, the Atlanta gig marked the band’s first outing since a UK tour in March, and anticipation Stateside has been high. Unfortunately, vocalist Ian McCulloch was under the weather, as the band confirmed on social media after the set. At one point, McCulloch left the stage for about 20 minutes, while ...
Robert Fripp and Toyah Are Taking “Sunday Lunch” on the Road for a 2023 Tour
Everyone’s favorite frisky rock couple, Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox, are bringing their popular “Sunday Lunch” YouTube series to live stages on a 2023 tour. As Consequence has been chronicling for a good portion of the pandemic, King Crimson guitarist Fripp and new wave singer Toyah have been entertaining the masses every Sunday with their off-beat covers of popular rock songs, featuring Toyah in various wild and revealing outfits. Now, the married couple are ready to take the show on the road, announcing Tuesday (June 28th) via Twitter that a 2023 tour is happening, but that venues and box office details were yet to come. The pair are based in England, and at this time it’s unclear if the outing will be a UK/European jaunt or a North American run … or, hopefully, both. Advertisement Re...
Tears for Fears Debut Four New Songs Live at 2022 Tour Kickoff: Review, Photos and Setlist
Addressing the crowd on Friday (May 20th), the first night of their amphitheater tour with Garbage at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center, Tears for Fears founding member Roland Orzabal pinpointed the band’s mood as “chuffed,” as in “deeply satisfied in a particularly British manner.” The band had brought out “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” three songs into their set, sounding just as pristine and cathartic now as it did when first recorded nearly 40 years ago. Conventional wisdom might be to save such an iconic hit for the latter half of the set or the encore. But Tears for Fears are not a mere legacy act capitalizing on Gen X-er nostalgia. You can identify the most popular songs by how many people start recording on their phones. But deeper cuts, like epic multi-parter “Bad Man’s Son...
Talking Heads in 10 Songs
This article originally ran in 2017; we’re resharing it as David Byrne celebrates his birthday on May 14th. Ever felt overwhelmed by an artist’s extensive back catalog? Been meaning to check out a band, but you just don’t know where to begin? In 10 Songs is here to help, offering a crash course and entry point into the daunting discographies of iconic artists of all genres. This is your first step toward fandom. Take it. In any other band’s history, the 40th anniversary of the release of their debut album would inspire all manner of promotional hullabaloo and creaky onstage reunions. When that band is Talking Heads — the art pop group that released its debut, Talking Heads: 77, in September 1977 — this kind of milestone is going to slide by with zero fanfare and even less attempts at recon...
Duran Duran Say Hall of Fame Induction Is “Closest Thing” to “Rock & Roll Knighthood”
Duran Duran were announced this morning as part of the class of 2022 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After releasing a brief video of thanks following the announcement, the band shared a statement from France in which they called the honor “the closest thing you’ll ever get to a rock & roll knighthood.” “Here in the wild, beautiful world of Duran Duran, I think we’re all in a little bit of a daze about this,” said frontman Simon Le Bon. “It’s one thing to be nominated — but a totally different thing altogether to be actually voted up for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which is to my mind the closest thing you’ll ever get to a rock & roll knighthood. This truly is a special and most valued kind of recognition for our lifetime’s dedication to new musi...
Metric Announce New Album Formentera and 2022 Tour Dates
Metric have announced their return with a new album, lead single, and massive North American tour. Entitled Formentera, the the Canadian band’s eighth studio album arrives on July 8th. Of the lead single, “All Comes Crashing,” frontwoman Emily Haines said it “is a love song that goes beyond romantic love, it’s an expression of solidarity with whoever it is you would want to have beside you in the event of catastrophe.” The track reflects this as it switches from buzzing, pulsing choruses and quiet, reflective verses. “Starting over won’t be easy, broken divided/ Split tomorrow from today,” sings Haines. “Knowing what you know/ Just makes it harder to think straight/ Starting after it breaks.” You can check out the “All Comes Crashing” video from director Justin Broadbent ahead. Relate...
Coachella 2022: Danny Elfman Plays Songs from The Simpsons, Edward Scissorhands, and More
Danny Elfman took the stage at Coachella on Saturday for a festival set unlike any other. The rare appearance by the legendary composer — which he introduced as a “strange little show” for the crowd — included a plethora of songs from films he’s scored, as he led a full orchestra through highlights from Edward Scissorhands (“Ice Dance/The Grand Finale”) and 1989’s Batman to a medley from The Nightmare Before Christmas (“Jack’s Lament/This is Halloween/What’s This?”) and a rocking version of The Simpsons theme song — by which point he was shirtless. Elfman also dusted off a number of Oingo Boingo tracks, including “Insects,” “Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself),” “Only a Lad,” “Dead Man’s Party,” and closer “Who Do You Want to Be.” Related Video Joining on stage was an impressive backing...
Chino Moreno and Shaun Lopez Talk New ††† (Crosses) Songs, Musical Inspiration, Tour Plans, and More
Last month, ††† (Crosses), comprised of Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Shaun Lopez, released their first new original songs in eight years. The tracks “Initiation” and “Protection” are just a taste of what’s to come, as the duo plan to unveil more music in the coming months, after inking a deal with Warner Bros. Records. The first sign that Crosses were back in the studio came in late 2020, when the outfit unveiled a cover of the Cause and Effect track “The Beginning of the End.” A year later, a cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses” followed, along with news that more music was coming soon. In March, the two aforementioned original songs “Initiation” and “Protection” were released, cementing the fact that Crosses were back in full swing. After releasing their 2014 self-titled debut album and ...
Chino Moreno’s ††† (Crosses) Share New Songs “Initiation” and “Protection”: Stream
††† (Crosses), the project of Chino Moreno and Shaun Lopez, have shared two new songs: “Initiation” and “Protection.” The duo made good on their promise to drop new music come spring, having been freshly signed to Warner Records in December. The new singles mark the first original Crosses material since 2014, following a pair of cover songs released over the past couple years. “Initiation” and “Protection” present the two sides of Crosses. The former was inspired by the infamous “The World Is Yours” scene in Scarface and is a self-described “urgent soundtrack for uncertain times”; the latter song “digs deeper into their influences and electronic textures.” Advertisement Related Video “Protection” comes with a visualizer featuring Thais Molon, who also appeared in Crosses’ previous videos&n...
Echo & The Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant on Post-Punk’s Early Days and Creating the Riff to “The Killing Moon”
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Will Sergeant sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about his autobiography, Bunnyman, which tells his story from childhood up until Echo & The Bunnymen began making their first full album. Related Video The guitarist discusses how WWII and the Cold War had a strong influence on his coming-of-age and the music that he would create, pop culture’s importance in the last century, and how artists create their own mythology. Advertisement Sergeant also tells us about accidentally coming up with the riff to “The Killing Moon,” helping to create post-punk from punk, his distaste for the Echo & The Bunnymen’s most recent album,...
Elvis Costello Says He Won’t Perform “Oliver’s Army” Anymore, Tells Radio Stations Not to Play It
Elvis Costello is retiring one of his biggest songs from his live show. In a new interview with The Telegraph, the singer-songwriter said he wouldn’t perform his 1979 hit “Oliver’s Army” live anymore, and that radio stations should stop playing it. Written about the conflict in Northern Ireland, “Oliver’s Army” contains the lyrics “Only takes one itchy trigger/ One more widow, one less white n****.” Costello defended his use of the slur, noting its historical context, but said he would stop performing it to avoid controversy. “If I wrote that song today, maybe I’d think twice about it,” Costello said. “That’s what my grandfather was called in the British army — it’s historically a fact — but people hear that word go off like a bell and accuse me of something that I didn’t intend....
Gina Schock of The Go-Go’s on New Photo Book, Rock Hall Induction, and Upcoming Projects
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS The Go-Go’s drummer/singer Gina Schock hops on the line with Kyle Meredith to talk about her new book, Made in Hollywood: All Access with The Go-Go’s, which takes us back to the band’s early ’80s explosion through phots and essays from some of their famous friends. Related Video Schock talks about those early days of van touring, having Paul Reubens as their opening act in his Pee-wee Herman character, and the support given and received from other women artists of the time, including B-52’s Kate Pierson and Joan Jett. Advertisement Also covered is the band’s big night of being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, reco...
