Rock
Johnny Marr Announces Double Album Fever Dreams Pts 1-4, Shares “Spirit, Power and Soul”: Stream
The legend Johnny Marr has announced Fever Dreams Pts 1-4, a double album that will be released as four separate EPs. Fever Dreams Pt 1 arrives October 15th, and as a preview the former The Smiths guitarist has shared the new song “Spirit, Power and Soul.” Fever Dreams Pt 1 is a four-track effort, and the new single doesn’t just open the EP, it also sets the mood for the three EPs to follow. As Marr said in a statement, “‘Spirit, Power and Soul’ is a kind of mission statement. I had an idea about an electro sound with gospel feeling, in my own words… an electro soul anthem.” “Spirit, Power and Soul” rolls along like a high-speed train, powered by heartbeat drums and chugging electric guitars. “Now, time has come,” Marr sings. “Spirit, power, and soul/ And...
Nick Cave Recalls Meeting Charlie Watts While Wearing a “Tiny Tracksuit”
For the past few years, Nick Cave has used his website The Red Hand Files to interact with fans on a slightly more personal level by answering questions they submit. Rightfully so, the Bad Seeds singer dedicated his latest update to the late great Charlie Watts, sharing an anecdote about how he awkwardly ran into the Rolling Stones drummer about ten years ago. In a blog post, Cave recalled an incident in which he made a rare excursion to the gym in preparation for tour, then headed to Heathrow airport before he had a chance to clean himself up. “I needed to have a piss so I stopped at the bathrooms and as I walked back out, in my tiny tracksuit, my giant white trainers and my bucket hat, there, walking toward me, was Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones,” Cave wrote. The musician went on: “...
Former Oasis Drummer Tony McCarroll Suffers Heart Attack
McCarroll played a big hand in the rise of a band that was, without question, Britain’s biggest rock act of the ‘90s. He helped form Oasis with his schoolmates Liam Gallagher, Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, and Paul McGuigan before Liam’s older brother Noel came on board. His work can be heard on the early hits “Live Forever,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” and more, as Definitely Maybe went on to hit No. 1 in the U.K., and is now considered by critics a stone-cold classic. After a falling-out with Noel, he left the band in April 1995, prior to the sophomore album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and was replaced by Alan White, who remained until 2004. In 2002, McCarroll unsuccessfully sued the band’s lawyers over his firing. Oasis is no longer an...
The Velvet Underground Documentary From Todd Haynes Gets First Trailer: Watch
Todd Haynes has shared the first trailer for his upcoming documentary on The Velvet Underground. The film will debut in theaters and on Apple TV+ on October 15th. Watch the trailer below. The film, titled simply The Velvet Underground, features in-depth interviews with the band’s surviving members and other key figures from the era, as well as a treasure trove of never-before-seen performances, studio recordings, experimental art, and films by their one-time manager and longtime supporter Andy Warhol. Though The Velvet Underground marks Haynes’ first-ever documentary, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker has plenty of experiencing telling music-centric stories. He first gained attention in the film industry with Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, his 1987 short chronicling Karen Carpente...
Iron Butterfly Drummer Ron Bushy Dies at 79
He made his mark with an extended drum solo on the band’s epic hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” from 1968, the full cut of which runs to 17 minutes. “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, one of four Iron Butterfly titles to impact the chart. Its parent album hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200, while 1969’s Ball went to No. 3. Though the band would pause on several occasions, and reunite with different lineups, Bushy was a constant. In an interview with Vinyl Writer, published in February of this year, Bushy hinted at several songs that were never fleshed out in the studio. “Actually we had three new songs that were never recorded,” he explained. “Unfortunately, some of the band members did not want to do music anymore. Now, some of our I.B. members have pass...
Eric Clapton Seemingly Addresses COVID-19 Policies in New Protest Song ‘This Has Gotta Stop’: Watch
In the accompanying animated music video, faceless figures gather in protest holding signs emblazoned with such messages as “Liberty,” “Enough is Enough” and “Stop.” Elsewhere, the clip features socially charged references to the over consumption of media and concerns about climate change. In July, Clapton stated that he won’t grace “any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.” The iconic guitarist also feared he would “never play again” following health issues after both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Clapton seems to reference his past issues with the COVID-19 vaccine in other lyrics from “This Has Gotta...
Noel Gallagher’s Son Taught Him How to Play AC/DC’s “Back in Black”
For the Gallaghers, musical proficiency is a family affair. Liam and Noel rose to superstardom as the core members of Oasis, and their kids are apparently following in their footsteps: During a recent episode of his residency on British rock station Radio X (via NME), Noel revealed that his 10-year-old son, Sonny, taught him how to play the AC/DC classic “Back in Black.” The High Flying Birds singer said that ever since Sonny picked up the guitar not too long ago, he “rattles around on it every night.” But rather than gravitating towards the Britpop of Oasis, Noel’s “little protégé” is evidently big on classic rock bands like AC/DC and Queen. I genuinely did not know how to play this riff, ‘Back In Black’, which is a famous riff,” Noel said. Noel went on to describe how he’s been thoughtfu...
Jason Isbell Covers The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” as Tribute to Charlie Watts: Watch
Charlie Watts may have passed away but legends never die. On August 26th in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jason Isbell, his band The 400 Unit, and his tour mate Brittney Spencer all joined forces to pay tribute to one of rock’s greatest drummers with a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Isbell took lead, singing and laying down a couple of muscular guitar solos. Spencer sang backup vocals — no small feat, considering she has the kind of gale-force instrument that could shake the leaves off a green tree — and provided soaring accents between verses. Check out the cover of “Gimme Shelter” below. Others who have paid tribute to Watts since his death include Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Brian Wilson, as well as The Rolling Stones themselves. The band has announced plans to continue the...
Aaron Dessner on Big Red Machine, The National’s Future, and Working with Taylor Swift
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS On this week’s Kyle Meredith With, Aaron Dessner calls in to discuss How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last, the sophomore record from his Big Red Machine project with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. The prolific producer/songwriter takes us through the process of bringing in more friends for this album, including Sharon Van Etten and Taylor Swift, and how the set came to focus on themes of mental health, depression, and family dynamics. That was particularly true on “Hutch,” a song written for the late Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchinson, a close friend of Dessner’s. Advertisement Related Video On working wit...
Pearl Jam Celebrate Ten, No Code Anniversaries with Remixed Digital Albums
August 27th is an important day for Pearl Jam fanatics, and the date has particular significance this year. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the band’s iconic debut, Ten, as well as the 25th anniversary of their smash fourth LP, No Code. To celebrate, Pearl Jam is unveiling newly remixed digital exclusive editions of both records, plus they’re streaming their legendary 2014 “No Code Show” for free. The new digital mixes come courtesy of producer/sound engineer Josh Evans, who produced PJ’s most recent full-length, last year’s Gigaton. As he did with that album, Evans has given Ten and No Code an immersive makeover using Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, adding even more detail and nuance to the classic tracks. As Evans explained in a press release, “These two a...
Halsey Releases ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’ Album: Stream It Now
The If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power album artwork depicts the regal-looking “Castle” singer sitting on a Game of Thrones-like golden throne and holding a baby (not their newborn) on their lap while exposing their breast, serving as a nod to the Madonna-whore psychological complex of how women are perceived as either motherly figures whose bodies are vessels for childbearing or sexual beings. In the caption of the Instagram post, the 26-year-old artist explains how they believe both ideas “can co-exist peacefully and powerfully.” Halsey also described the album as being “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth. It was very important to me that the cover art conveyed the sentiment of my journey over the past few ...
Kiss Concert Canceled After Paul Stanley Tests Positive for COVID
Ahead of the band’s announcement, Stanley took to Twitter to shoot down rumors about how severe his symptoms were. “PEOPLE!!! I am fine! I am not in ICU!” Stantey tweeted. “My heart allows me to do 26 miles a day on my bike! I don’t know where this came from but it’s absolute nonsense.” In a subsequent tweet, he wrote, “I had been sick with flu-like symptoms and was tested repeatedly and was negative. As of late this afternoon I tested positive. The crew, staff and band have all tested negative once again. More to follow.” The glam rockers are currently on their End of the Road Tour, billed as their final trek ever, which kicked off in January 2019 and then had to reschedule dozens of 2020 dates due to the coronavirus pandemic. They resumed t...
