Rock
Julian Casablancas: “I Always Wanted to Be in the Arctic Monkeys”
In the Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino song “The Star Treatment,” Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner famously sings, “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes.” Well, it seems The Strokes’ own Julian Casablancas might be willing to switch places with Turner. “Lolll – I always wanted to be in the Arctic Monkeys,” The Strokes frontman captioned an Instagram post on Sunday in which he effortlessly recreated the cover art for his contemporaries’ 2006 album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. (In the grayscale photo, Casablancas smokes a cigarette while glancing thoughtfully off-camera, mimicking the iconic shot of The Violet May’s Chris McClure from the original LP. Of course, he’s also replaced “Arctic Monkeys” on the sticker in the top left-hand corner with “The Strokes.”) McCl...
Dave Grohl Reads Ringo Starr’s Bedtime Story Octopus’s Garden: Watch
Dave Grohl was the latest guest on the BBC’s CBeebies, choosing as his bedtime story the 2014 children’s book Octopus’s Garden by Ringo Starr. Grohl began by saying that his favorite books take him to places he wishes he could visit. He added, “I love this story because it was written by someone who plays the drums — just like me!” Octopus’s Garden is based on Starr’s own song of the same name from Abbey Road, with illustrations by Ben Cort. Some of Cort’s whimsical drawings are flashed across the screen, or else the video would be indistinguishable from Grohl reciting the lyrics to a The Beatles’ song in a calming voice. He clearly enjoyed the experience, pointing to himself and saying, “I’d like to be under the sea in an Octopus’s garden in the shade.” Check...
R. Kelly’s Been Found Guilty, But What’s the Verdict for the Music Industry?
The history of R. Kelly’s allegations and belated fall from grace highlights the industry’s current crisis of culture. It has historically been a space where social norms are flaunted, disregarded or even subverted; especially with sex and drugs. The bigger the talent — artist or executive — the wider the allowances for behavior no “normal” person could get away with. As such, record labels and publishers have rarely directly addressed the personal lives of their artists in a critical way. There is currently no standard morals clause in recording contracts, and because the artist is not only the product but a brand and business unto themselves, public sentiment usually only impacts their label home so far as it affects sales, streams and airplay. If an artist’s viability ...
Coldplay to Reach For the Stars at Immersive ‘Intergalactic Audio-Visual’ Experience Event ‘The Atmospheres’
The sensory journey is intended to “recreate the alien worlds at the heart of the album” and will allow fans to “create their own alien language messages, snap selfies in the augmented reality photobooth, and even help to power the experience through bespoke kinetic walkways. The experience will be soundtracked by album highlight, ‘People of the Pride’, mixed in Dolby Atmos, and accompanied by exclusive 360 visuals.” Click here for information on how to sign up for The Atmospheres beginning on Friday (Oct. 8). Coldplay will play a week-long residency on The Late Late Show with James Corden next week, during which they will play songs from the new album, with their recently released Selena Gomez single, “Let Somebody Go,” slated to make its televisio...
Dave Grohl Previews New Storyteller Memoir at Intimate Show in New York City: Recap
Dave Grohl has now joined the long list of musicians so successful, they had to compile all the details of their storied lives into a book. Dave Grohl: The Storyteller – Tales In Life & Music, Grohl’s first book, hit the shelves yesterday (October 5th), and to celebrate, he’s taking these stories on tour — sort of. Appearing at New York City’s Town Hall on Tuesday, October 5th (the second of five live dates promoting the book), Grohl essentially went through an oral history of his life, highlighting stories from the book alongside other personal anecdotes, and pausing throughout to play songs on two different guitars and (of course) a drum kit. As the audience filed in and Grohl took the stage, he sat on the floor, electric guitar in hand, and played along to The Beatles’ “Eight Days A...
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Share New Song “High and Lonesome”: Stream
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss did not write an original song for their Grammy-winning 2007 album Raising Sand, and 11 out of the 12 tracks on the upcoming sequel Raise the Roof are covers. But “High and Lonesome” is a novelty: an all-new tune, co-written by Plant and producer T Bone Burnett that’s as fun as anything in Plant’s recent discography. The bluesy track chugs along on a four-note guitar riff, accompanied by crisp drumming and occasionally punctuated by urgent smacks of hand claps. Plant triples-up phrases like, “I must find my love,” and “Does she still think of me,” putting a swanky little lean into the first word. Krauss and Burnett sing backup vocals, with the latter adding a ghostly whisper and the former flickering above Plant’s topline like smoke above a fire. Check o...
Tame Impala Sets ‘The Slow Rush’ Deluxe Edition, Shares Lil Yachty Remix
The vinyl version will be issued with transparent red LPs and alternate artwork including a 40-page booklet and The Slow Rush 2050 calendar. “It was so amazing to work with Kevin as I’ve been a big fan since high school so it was a pleasant surprise and honor to be a part of such an incredible song,” says Lil Yachty of his extra-funky remix. The Slow Rush dropped in February 2020, landing at No. 1 in Australia, No. 3 in the U.S. and U.K. (both career highs), and earning a string of ARIA and APRA Awards. Global streams are north of 1.3 billion, and Tame Impala’s fourth LP scored a Grammy nomination for alternative music album. The Western Australian production wizard also released a special lockdown cut of the album, dubbed The Slow Rush In An Imaginary Place, which Parker...
The Evolution of the Live Show: Marc Myers Joins The What Podcast
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Radio Public | RSS Marc Myers, a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal, joins Brad, Barry, and Lord Taco to discuss his new book, ROCK CONCERT: An Oral History as Told by the Artists, Backstage Insiders, and Fans Who Were There. It’s a fun conversation on The What Podcast that looks at the evolution of the live show from the ’50s to the ’80s. Myers gives insider info about how rock concerts evolved, how a particular series of events led to the arena shows we know and love today, and what the industry looks like in 2021. Take a listen above, and make sure you like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Advertisement Related Video Launched in 2018, The What began as a p...
The Darkness on Delivering Another Dose of ‘Good-Time Rock’n’Roll’ With ‘Motorheart’
Even so, Hawkins admits the album gets “a bit quasi-political” in a couple of places. But, for the most part, it revolves around relationships. “I’m not going soul-searching or anything, though,” he says. Take, for example, the title track — an ode to a sex robot purchased by a man hoping to find the perfect match, which includes the lyrics “I never have to listen to ridiculous opinions/ She never tries to make me into one of her minions/ The touch of a button, a steely caress/ You need a Phillips screwdriver to get her undressed.” To anyone familiar with The Darkness, the words are obviously sung in jest, but to the uninitiated, they may raise some eyebrows. Hawkins explains, “I would hope people recognize that there’s a bit more to us than that. The Darkness isn’t Steel Panther. I’...
Baseball and Music Festival Innings Announces 2022 Lineup with Foo Fighters, Roger Clemens, Tame Impala
Innings Festival, the bizarre mashup of baseball and music that absolutely nobody asked for, has announced its 2022 lineup. Musical headliners include Foo Fighters, Tame Impala, St. Vincent, and My Morning Jacket, and the major leagues will be represented by Roger Clemens, Hall of Famer Tim Raines, Ryan Dempster, and more. The event takes place two days only, February 27th and 28th, while the confusion may last a lifetime. The fourth iteration of the annual event goes down at Tempe Beach Park & Arts Park, which is just a batting practice bomb away from Tempe Diablo Stadium, where MLB’s Los Angeles Angels host their spring training. Batting cages will be available, and in years past the stages have been given names like Home Plate, Right Field, and Left Field. Plus, the event will featu...
Smash Mouth’s Steve Harwell Takes Hiatus from Band Due to Heart Issues
Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell has taken a temporary hiatus from the band to manage his ongoing heart condition. TMZ reports that Harwell, 54, suffers from cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease where the heart muscle becomes enlarged and weak, making it difficult to pump blood. Since 2015, Harwell has managed the disease with medication, but “recently some issues came up and things needed to be adjusted,” TMZ notes. Advertisement Related Video Fortunately, Harwell is apparently on the mend and hopes to rejoin Smash Mouth on tour later this week. In the interim, a friend of the band whose identity has not yet been revealed has filled in as singer during their recent dates. Eve 6 singer Max Collins has also offered his services. Below, you can see recent footage of Smash Mouth with...
David Lee Roth Says He’s Retiring After Las Vegas Shows in Early 2022: ‘I’m Throwing in the Shoes’
The iconic frontman added, “I’m not going to explain the statement. The explanation is in a safe. These are my last five shows.” Billboard has reached out to Roth’s representatives for further comment. Roth is scheduled to perform at House of Blues in Las Vegas between Dec. 31 and Jan. 8, 2022. Tickets are currently on sale. After leaving Van Halen, Roth was one of the highest profile rock stars of the mid 1980s. At the second annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1985, he had two of the five nominees for video of the year — “California Girls” and “Just a Gigolo”/”I Ain’t Got Nobody.” (The award went to Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer.”) During the interview, Roth also reflected on the passing of his form...
