Rock
Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ at 30: Next Gen Artists on How the Album Inspired Them
As a lyricist, Cobain had no scruples in expressing his honest feelings in his songs. His words about the human condition, isolation, acceptance, mental health and addiction remain strong touchstones of solace and insight that seem to resonate even more so with the children of Gen X than the Xers themselves. If only Kurt had lived long enough to see how much of a difference he made in the lives of people not even born when Nevermind was released, there’s no doubt he would have been glowing with pride. But Jesus wanted him for a sunbeam instead. In honor of Nevermind‘s 30th anniversary, we spoke with a wide swath of modern artists who were only babies or not yet born yet when Nirvana changed the course of rock n’ roll on Sept. 24, 1991. So long as the youth remain restless...
BTS & Coldplay Drop ‘My Universe’ Collab: Stream It Now
BTS and Coldplay invited their fans into “My Universe” on Friday (Sept. 24) when the global superstar groups joined forces on their first proper collaboration. The British rock band’s label Parlophone Records announced a schedule of upcoming releases tied to the single with the K-pop boy band, including the Inside My Universe Documentary on Sunday at 8 a.m. and the Supernova 7 Mix and acoustic version at 7 p.m. ET that day. The official music video, directed by Dave Meyers, will be “coming soon,” according to Parlophone’s update. Fans of both bands heard a brief snippet of “My Universe” on TikTok, where Coldplay frontman Chris Martin harmonizes the uplifting chorus with BTS: “You, you are/ My universe/ And I just want to ...
Guns N’ Roses Rock Out on New Release ‘Hard Skool’: Stream It Now
It’s a flat-out, no-mucking-around rock number, peppered with smoking guitar licks. On it, Axl Rose sings: “But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way/Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away/Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay/ If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway.” For a band with a reputation of keeping their fans waiting, GN’R is in a groove. “Hard Skool” is their second release in as many months, following the release of “Absurd,” also a revamp of an unreleased song from the Chinese Democracy era. On the latest record, Rose is listed as co-producer alongside Chinese Democracy co-producer Caram Costanzo. Seven co-writers worked on the release, just the second since the return of original members Slash and Duff McKagan in 2016 for th...
The Rolling Stones on Loss of Charlie Watts: “He Held the Band Together for So Long”
One month after the death of longtime drummer Charlie Watts, the remaining members of The Rolling Stones have opened up about their tremendous loss. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood shared their memories of Watts and described his impact on the band. “He held the band together for so long, musically, because he was the rock the rest of it was built around,” Jagger explained. “The thing he brought was this beautiful sense of swing and swerve that most bands wish they could have. We had some really nice conversations in the last couple of years about how all this happened with the band. It’s a huge loss to us all. It’s very, very hard.” The lead singer also broke down how Watts brought his eclectic musical background to the Stones. “He wasn’...
Weezer’s Pinkerton at 25: The Band Has Moved On, Though We Never May Do the Same
Weezer isn’t giving interviews about Pinkerton for its 25th anniversary. There’s no big press push promoting a deluxe vinyl reissue of the album celebrating its quarter-century of existence. (As of press time, you can’t even buy Pinkerton from the band’s merch store, though it is readily available elsewhere.) This relative silence about an auspicious milestone (which will officially occur on September 24th) for one of their best-loved and most influential records might seem a little odd. But maybe Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, whose intensely personal songwriting drives this 10-song, 34-minute record, doesn’t feel like there’s any advantage to speaking further on the subject. Clearly, the band has moved on; though they took a five-year break after Pinkerton that was, at the time, commonly ...
Bruce Springsteen to Release 1979 No Nukes Concerts Film and Live Album
Just in time for Bruce Springsteen’s 72nd birthday today, Sony Music and Sony Pictures have announced a new concert film and live album to memorialize two of The E-Street Band’s most iconic gigs. The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts is composed of ten never-before released performances from the Boss’ 1979 Madison Square Garden MUSE benefit concerts, putting together footage of the unforgettable setlist in its entirety for the first time. “A few years ago, I started re-examining the filmed archives for Bruce and the Band’s appearances at the No Nukes concerts of 1979,” said longtime Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny, who edited the film. “I quickly realized that these were the best performances and best filming from the Band’s legendary Seventies, and dedicated myself to bringing out the ...
Camila Cabello, Billie Eilish & More Urge Entertainment Execs to Demand Congressional Action on Climate Change
The artists have joined forces with the NRDC Action Fund in an effort to urge the CEOs to use their voices and call on Congress to pass the most ambitious climate change plan in U.S. history this fall, President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. In a statement, Cabello — who initiated the effort along with the NRDC — said, “Climate change is threatening our communities and future — the time to act is now to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. Entertainment companies have the opportunity to show leadership and push Congress to enact bold action on climate. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect our communities, create a just transition away from fossil fuels, and create millions of new jobs.” Read the full text of the letter here. Other...
Foo Fighters Rock Out on Stage with Giant Mascots During Private Corporate Gig: Watch
San Francisco tech company Salesforce kicked off their three-day Dreamforce conference on September 21st, treating attendees to a performance from none other than Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl and co. have had plenty of memorable moments over the course of their career, but the corporate gig likely marked the first time Foo Fighters ever shared the with a group of oversized costumed mascots. While the band performed “All My Life,” they were joined by a trio of mascots named Astro, Einstein, and Ruth. Acknowledging his costumed guests for bringing the energy in the San Francisco heat, Grohl slowed things down for a bit to let them catch a breather. “I’m going to break it down, because I know you’re fucking dying in that suit right now. Einstein, are you okay?” Grohl asked before the band tr...
Billy Corgan Renews Publishing Deal With Warner Chappell
By the release of 1995’s Billboard 200-topping Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness — the group’s third and most successful album — The Smashing Pumpkins had cemented themselves as genre-defining hitmakers. In 2012, the now-classic double album — released on Virgin Records, as well as the previous two — officially reached RIAA diamond status after selling over 10 million copies. Since the peak of their success in the mid-1990s, the group has continued with a revolving door of members, held in orbit by Corgan’s steadfast leadership and vision. Aside from a five-year hiatus from 2000-2005, The Smashing Pumpkins continued to tour and record, releasing a slew of albums and EPs in the wake of Mellon Collie‘s release...
Michael Stipe Says R.E.M. “Will Never Reunite”
In the decade since R.E.M.’s split in 2011, the alternative rockers have shown no intention of ever getting back together. Exactly 10 years to the day of their break-up, lead singer Michael Stipe dispelled any notions of a reunion during an appearance on WNYC’s All Of It. “That’s wishful thinking. We will never reunite,” Stipe plainly told host Alison Stewart after she brought up a Rolling Stone article that gave 30% odds to a R.E.M. reunion. “We decided when we split up that that would just be really tacky and probably money-grabbing, which might be the impetus for a lot of bands to get back together.” Hear Stipe’s full quote below at the 24:25 mark. Back in 2014, Stipe expressed a similar sentiment during an interview with CBS This Morning. “I love those guys very much and I respect...
How to Buy Dave Grohl’s ‘The Storyteller’ Memoir Online
“There is a common thread that runs throughout everything that I do: storytelling. Whether in song, documentary film or on the page, I have always felt compelled to share moments from my life,” Grohl previously said of the forthcoming memoir in a statement. “This inclination is a huge part of what excites me creatively but also as a human being.” The beloved rocker will share everything from “hilarious childhood mishaps, touching family moments, leaving home to see the world at eighteen, to spectacular stories about Nirvana, Foo Fighters, David Bowie, Joan Jett, Iggy Pop, Paul McCartney, playing drums for Tom Petty on Saturday Night Live, performing at the White House, and even swing dancing with AC/DC, with all love, laughs, loss, and embarrassments ...
Shirley Manson on The Jump, Beautiful Garbage, and The Importance of Weird
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Shirley Manson catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about season three of The Jump, the podcast that finds her speaking with some of her favorite artists about the songs that changed their careers. The Garbage lead singer discusses the art of songwriting and its current place in the pop landscape, the importance of being weird, and the opportunities to borrow from greatness. Advertisement Related Video Manson also dives into an interview she did with Alanis Morissette and their shared experience coming up in the ’90s, the power of Cat Power, and being a hero to so many people in the way that she sees Patti Smith. It’s also th...
