Rock
Bob Dylan, Lamb of God & Neil Young Launch in Top 3 Spots on Top Rock Albums Chart
“Rough and Rowdy Ways,” “Lamb of God” and “Homegrown” all arrive. Bob Dylan bows atop Billboard‘s Top Rock Albums chart dated July 4 with Rough and Rowdy Ways, followed by Lamb of God, whose self-titled album debuts at No. 2, and Neil Young‘s “Homegrown,” which starts at No. 3. Rough and Rowdy Ways, Dylan’s first album of all original material since 2012’s Tempest, opens with 53,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 25, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Dylan adds his fifth Top Rock Albums No. 1 and first since 2015’s The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12: 1965 – 1966, The Best of the Cutting Edge. (The chart began in the mid-2000s.) The new set also debuts atop Americana/Folk Albums, marking Dylan&#...
Ringo Starr Plans All-Starr 80th Birthday Benefit, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, & More Set to Perform
To ring in the big 8-0, Ringo Starr plans on celebrating online with an all-Starr broadcast benefit called “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show” next Tuesday, July 7. Starr traditionally spreads peace and love outside of Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, Calif. for his birthday, but he’s not letting the coronavirus pandemic stop him from doing so. He recruited fellow living Beatles member Paul McCartney, Ringo Star & His All-Starr Band guitarist Joe Walsh, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Sheila E. and Ben Harper will host at-home performances and feature never-before-seen concert footage. Proceeds raised during “Ringo’s Big Birthday Show” will benefit these four organizations: Black Lives Matter Global Network, the David Lync...
Lenny Kravitz Announces ‘Let Love Rule’ Memoir
Lenny Kravitz announced on Tuesday (June 30) that his upcoming memoir, Let Love Rule: A Memoir, will be arriving this fall. The book, written alongside co-author David Ritz, will cover the first 25 years of the multi-hyphenate’s life, as he worked through tough struggles at school and extreme tension at home, and found salvation in music. He eventually turns down multiple record deals until he finds his true voice. The story stretches through his experiences in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant, Los Angeles’ Baldwin Hills, Beverly Hills and finally France, England and Germany. “I am pleased to announce the release of my book ‘Let Love Rule,’” Kravitz said in a statement. “Writing this memoir has been a beautiful and interesting experienc...
Pearl Jam Remember the 2000 Roskilde Festival Tragedy: ‘Nothing has Been the Same Since’
Pearl Jam have paid tribute to the lives lost on the 20th anniversary of the Roskilde Festival tragedy. The Seattle rock legends shared a solemn post to mark 20 years since that fateful day, when nine young men were crushed to death during their set at Roskilde, held near Copenhagen in Denmark. “A normal festival show day…show up 5 hours ahead. Wait for your slot. I barely remember it…” the post reads. “Sunny, I think. Lou Reed played, I think. Then rain and wind. But nothing has been the same since.” An accompanying clip features nine flames set to a black background, soundtracked by a live snippet from Pearl Jam’s “Love Boat Captain,” a 2002 song which references the tragedy. In the live cut, frontman Eddie Vedder tweaks the lyric to reflect the march o...
Jefferson Starship on 45 Years of Red Octopus
Kyle Meredith With… Jefferson Starship Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Jefferson Starship member David Freiberg jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to discuss the 45th anniversary of the band’s sophomore album, Red Octopus. The singer and multi-instrumentalist talks about the variation of styles heard on the record, how the band kept a family environment amidst a revolving door of members, and how “Miracle” became an unlikely hit. Freiberg then goes on to give us a scoop on the band’s upcoming album Mother of the Sun — their first since 2008 — and its first two singles: one of which was written by the retired Grace Slick and the other a tribute to founding member Paul Kantner. Kyle Meredith With...
John Legend, Black Eyed Peas & More Set for ‘Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular’
John Legend, The Black Eyed Peas, Lady A and many more are set to take the stage during NBC’s upcoming 44th annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. Hosted by Jane Lynch and Today anchor Craig Melvin, the annual Independence Day event will be broadcast live from New York City. Additional performers confirmed for the telecast ahead of the yearly fireworks display include The Killers, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and national youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman. Due to concerns over social distancing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular will look a bit different than it has in years past. This year, the event is being “reimagined as a series of neighborhood shows” through the city’s five boroug...
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Announces MTV VMAs Date & Location
It’s happening! The MTV Video Music Awards are a go. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York made the announcement during his Monday (June 29) press briefing, telling viewers that the annual ceremony would be held in Brooklyn. As the governor announced that New York City would be entering Phase III of reopening on July 6, he shared the unexpected news. “The Video Music Awards are going to be held Sunday, August 30, at Barclays Center,” he said. The slide displayed at the time also noted that “the event will follow all safety guidance, including limited or no audience.” Billboard has reached out to MTV for comment. In May, MTV told Billboard in a statement that they were looking into the possibility of safely holding the event live. “We’re exploring with gove...
HAIM’s Women in Music Pt. III Brims with Nuance and a Smorgasbord of Sounds: Review
The Lowdown: Summertime milestones are shaping up to become a staple in HAIM’s career. Just about a week shy of the three-year anniversary of the release of their sophomore album, Something to Tell You, the trio — composed of sisters Danielle, Alana, and Este Haim — put their latest work, Women in Music Pt. III, out into the world. Like the adorable video of their parents opening their Women in Music Pt. III vinyl in matching “Go HAIM or Go Home” t-shirts (which, if it isn’t already, should definitely be added to all future merch tables) that the band posted on Instagram, the album contains a raw tenderness that drums up its own sense of quiet magic on each track. Equally cool and cozy, Women in Music Pt. III sees HAIM tackle incredibly vulnerable subject matter against a musical smorgasbo...
Rolling Stones Protest Trump Using Their Music at Rally, Threaten Lawsuit
The Rolling Stones are “taking further steps” to stop Donald Trump from playing their music at his rallies after using “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” in Tulsa, Okla., on June 20. In a statement on Saturday (June 27), a rep for the Stones said the band’s legal team is working with performing rights organization BMI, who notified the president’s campaign that the use of their songs is unauthorized and would “constitute a breach of its licensing agreement.” Further use “would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.” “This could be the last time Trump uses any Jagger/Richards songs on his campaigns,” the statement read. As Tulsa World reported, “You Can’...
Twenty One Pilots Post Origin Story of ‘Never-Ending’ Video For ‘Level of Concern’
For all of you who are new here, Twenty One Pilots want to help. After fans almost immediately cracked the code to figure out how to upload their videos for the new “never-ending” visual for “Level of Concern,” the Ohio duo posted a nearly seven-minute clip on Wednesday (June 24) to explain the process to the rest of us. “Recently our dads were asking what the heck was going on with those codes,” Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun tweeted along with a link to the video explainer. According to the clip, it all started on June 10, when the pair uploaded a short video teaser that included a seemingly incomprehensible string of letters and numbers (LOC-061-220-2012P), which, when you deciphered it, merely referred to the title of the song, that days’ date and n...
Marcus King on El Dorado, Dan Auerbach, and Why He’ll Never Sing About White Claws
Kyle Meredith With… Marcus King Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Marcus King calls into Kyle Meredith to speak about his new album, El Dorado. The South Carolina-born singer-songwriter discusses the album’s production by The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach, leaving home for a life on the road, the loss of style and character, and finding a strong metaphor in old Cadillacs. He also talks about taking inspiration from Willie Nelson, his Grand Ole Opry debut, what Beatles song he listened to every morning before school, and singing about whiskey. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Fri...
Marcus King on El Dorado, Dan Auerbach, and Why He’ll Never Sing About White Claws
Kyle Meredith With… Marcus King Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Marcus King calls into Kyle Meredith to speak about his new album, El Dorado. The South Carolina-born singer-songwriter discusses the album’s production by The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach, leaving home for a life on the road, the loss of style and character, and finding a strong metaphor in old Cadillacs. He also talks about taking inspiration from Willie Nelson, his Grand Ole Opry debut, what Beatles song he listened to every morning before school, and singing about whiskey. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Fri...
