Rock
Dave Grohl on Nevermind Baby Lawsuit: “He’s Got a Nevermind Tattoo. I Don’t.”
Dave Grohl hasn’t “spent too much time thinking about” the child exploitation lawsuit filed by Spencer Elden, who was famously photographed as a baby for Nirvana’s iconic Nevermind album cover. However, Grohl would like to point out that he’s not the one with the Nevermind tattoo. The former Nirvana drummer was asked about the lawsuit in a new interview with Craig Jenkins of New York. Seemingly heeding the advice of his attorneys, Grohl sidestepped the question as best he could, saying, “I don’t know that I can speak on it because I haven’t spent too much time thinking about it. I feel the same way most people do in that I have to disagree. That’s all I’ll say.” But when Jenkins pointed out that Elden has re-created the photo several times as an adult, Grohl couldn’t help but respond, “Lis...
COVID-Stricken Serj Tankian “Happy” He Was Vaccinated, But Not “Taking Sides on the Issue”
System of a Down singer Serj Tankian, who’s been battling COVID-19, has said he is “happy” he was vaccinated but is not “taking sides on the issue.” We recently reported on Tankian testing positive for COVID and System of a Down postponing their two Los Angeles concerts, which had already been postponed twice due to the pandemic. The singer now says he is hoping to be symptom-free soon and credits the vaccine with minimizing his illness. However, Tankian explained that he wasn’t taking a specific stance regarding vaccines, saying it’s not a “one size fits all” decision. His summarized Facebook post read: “I am overwhelmed and extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and concern from friends and strangers alike. I am doing well and hoping to be clear of all symptoms soon. I believe tha...
Jay Black, Jay and the Americans Singer, Dies at 82
In the 1960s, Black joined the rock band, taking over for original singer Jay Traynor. Black recorded a series of hits with Jay and the Americans, including “Come a Little Bit Closer” (1964) “Cara Mia” (1965) and “This Magic Moment” (1968). Jay and the Americans were the opening act for the Beatles at their very first U.S. concert in 1964, in Washington, D.C. The band parted ways in 1973, with Black moving forward with his career as a solo artist. He also enjoyed a short stint as an actor, with a supporting role in Frank Sinatra’s Contract on Cherry Street in 1977; Black portrayed the character of Tommy Sindardos in the made-for-television film distributed by NBC. Black often performed as a solo artist in the tri-state area and in Florida. He held ...
Bon Iver Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Self-Titled Album With Back-to-Back Shows
Now, 10 years later, Bon Iver’s self-titled work is remembered as a turning point for his career as an artist, even hinting at the experimental, formless direction his music would take later on, with 22, a Million and i,i. With Bon Iver, Vernon no longer was proving himself as he was with For Emma, by 2011, he was eager to push for sounds never heard before. To commemorate one of his most beloved, career-altering albums, Bon Iver played the first of two shows Friday night at the brand new YouTube Theater at SoFi Stadium. Titled “Sincerely Grateful,” it marked the artist/producer’s first shows post-pandemic, something Vernon acknowledged in between tracks with a laugh, “Hey, how was your last year?” After a str...
Coldplay Cover Pearl Jam’s “Nothingman” in Seattle: Watch
Coldplay celebrated the release of their latest album, Music of the Spheres, with a record release show at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night. In addition to playing songs from their ninth LP, Coldplay paid tribute to one of Seattle’s greatest bands: Pearl Jam. “So because we’re here in Seattle we wanted to pay tribute to all of the bands that we fell in love with when we were just young teenagers in the ’90s,” Coldplay frontman Chris Martin told the audience. “This is a 44-year-old man remembering how much he fell in love with Pearl Jam in 1991. And if you told that kid he would be here singing this song, that kid would’ve said ‘Are you sure that’s a good idea?’ And I would’ve said ‘Maybe not!’ But we’re doing it!” And with that, Martin and drummer Will Champion segued into a ...
Lana Del Rey Meditates in an Emergency on Blue Banisters
“If this is the end, I want a boyfriend,” Lana Del Rey sings on “Black Bathing Suit,” one of the standout tracks on her eighth album, Blue Banisters. The pop balladeer has long mooned over romantic apocalypse, but with this collection, she gets to set explorations of doomed relationships against the backdrop of global crisis. At their best, Del Rey’s ruminations in an emergency extend her range on all levels — lyrics, vocals, dynamics, and candor. Throughout her prolific, decade-long career, Del Rey has leaned into nostalgic fantasy with a faded silver-screen sheen — writing Gatsby cosplay, tragic Hollywood heroine apologias, and references to the unhinged end of the 1960s that make it sound like it happened yesterday. (Didn’t it?) But on Blue Banisters, Del Rey weaves the relatable banal ...
Travis Barker & Kourtney Kardashian Celebrate Halloween Early as Sid & Nancy: See Photos
Of course, the story of Sid and Nancy doesn’t have a happy ending: Spungen was found dead from a stab wound at New York’s Chelsea Hotel in October 1978 after a night with Vicious, who was charged with her murder but ended up dying of a heroin overdose four months later before he could stand trial. The couple was immortalized in the 1986 biopic Sid and Nancy, with Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb starring as the pair. See photos below: Barker and Kardashian announced their engagement Sunday via Instagram posts with the simple caption “forever.” The couple — who have been friends for years — reportedly began dating in January before making it Instagram-official on Valentine’s Day, when Kardashian shared a photo of their inter...
Song of the Week: Elton John and Eddie Vedder Go for a Wild Ride with “E-Ticket”
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 Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Elton John recruits Eddie Vedder for his lockdown sessions. Elton John really loves to collaborate: his new album The Lockdown Sessions features him joining forces with some of the biggest musicians around, from Dua Lipa to Stevie Wonder. With “E-Ticket,” his new track with none other than Eddie Vedder, John goes back to basics. It’s an undeniably fun, classic piano jam from the prolific pair, and Vedder’s presence makes it all the more riveting. Their husky voices sync and blend so well that at times, it’s hard to tell who is who...
Bruce Springsteen & Barack Obama Share How They Joined Forces for ‘Renegades: Born In the U.S.A.’ Podcast
“The way this came up, we did have a bunch of long conversations together and I always say when I first met Bruce, he seemed like…surprisingly shy considering he goes out there and sings before tens of thousands of people for hours at a time,” the former president explained. “We just ended up being in settings where we’d these long conversations and I thought, the things we’re talking about — what does it mean to be a man, what does it mean to be a American — these were the things that were popping up over a meal, and I thought, ‘You know what? This might be something that would be useful for folks to hear.'” “I initially though that he had gotten the wrong number when he called me. And I said, ‘Okay, let me figure thi...
How My Morning Jacket, After Considering a Breakup, Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Jam
“It’s been not the normal kind of fun, frolicking tour experience, you know?” James tells Billboard. “It’s just kind of a keep-it-real-tight COVID bubble, but the shows have been great.” My Morning Jacket’s return to performing after a four-year hiatus — and 18 months where we’ve all been tucked away at home — has been like sonic manna for the group’s dedicated (bordering on devotional) fanbase. For the beloved Kentucky-bred band, touring during the lingering pandemic is just another variation of the many flavors of solitude that have defined the most recent era of the My Morning Jacket mythology. But despite this isolation, and also because of it, the group has delivered its ninth studio album, an excellent, eponymous ...
Elton John Unveils Star-Studded New Album The Lockdown Sessions: Stream
Sir Elton John has today released his collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions. Stream the star-studded project in full below. The stacked guest list is led by artists like Eddie Vedder, Lil Nas X, Gorillaz, and Stevie Nicks. They are joined on the tracklist by Rina Sawayama (“Chosen Family“), Miley Cyrus (“Nothing Else Matters“), Stevie Wonder (“Finish Line“), and Dua Lipa. The latter’s appearance on “Cold Heart” (PNAU Remix)“ helped The Rocket Man score his 58th Top 40 hit and claim a Billboard Hot 100 record for the longest span of Top 40 appearances (excluding holiday songs). In a statement, John explained how the album came together during quarantine, and why the process made him feel like a “session musician again.” He said, “The last thing I expected to do durin...
Then and Now: Jagged Little Pill 25 Becomes Alanis Morissette’s Biggest Tour Ever
In the summer of 1996, now several singles deep, Morissette mounted a full North American amphitheater run via the Can’t Not Tour, bringing in $16.7 million and selling over 700,000 tickets. On a per night basis, she earned four times as much, sold three times as many tickets and bumped the average ticket by 20% from her previous tour, with less than three months in between. She finished ’96 as the No. 8 touring artist of the year, an especially impressive mark for the then-22-year-old artist amid a uniformly more established top 10, with acts like the Eagles, KISS and Bob Seger. After several tours promoting Morissette’s subsequent albums, she celebrated Pill’s first decade with the Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour in 2005. Intentionally scaled down to more intimate venues for the s...
