Rock
Prince’s Custom Guitar From the 1980s Brings Big Dollars at Auction
NEWS 6/20/2020 by Associated Press A custom guitar played by Prince at the height of his stardom in the 1980s and 1990s has sold for a staggering $563,500 at auction. The “Blue Angel” Cloud 2 electric guitar skyrocketed beyond the estimate of $100,000 to $200,000 it was expected to fetch at the Music Icons sale run by Julien’s Auctions on Friday (June 19) and Saturday in Beverly Hills. Prince played the blindingly blue guitar with the artist’s “love” symbol on its neck beginning on the 1984 Purple Rain Tour, on the classic albums Lovesexy and Sign O’ The Times. He used it into the early 1990s. Archivists going through Prince’s possessions at his Paisley Park home and musical headquarters in Minnesota recently found the guitar that was thought to be lost during the four years since his deat...
Evanescence’s Amy Lee Reveals How She Once Burned a Hole in Mickey Mouse’s Heart: Exclusive
Ouch! Things took a bit of a dark turn when Amy Lee, the frontwoman of Evanescence, showed off her home studio in an exclusive video on Billboard’s Instagram Saturday (June 20). As part of Billboard‘s “My Top 10” series, the rock vocalist shared some of the favorite things she keeps around when she’s making music, and quite a few were throwback items to her youth. As she kicked off the at-home tour, Lee pointed out that what’s in her creative space is “part audio gear and part ’80s toy collection, because that’s who I am and that’s how I roll.” Among the fancy equipment and instruments was a Mickey Mouse lamp from her childhood bedroom minus the lampshade — and his heart. “I had forgotten there was this other lig...
Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Arcade Fire to Play on Preservation Hall Jazz Band Livestream
Dave Grohl (photo by Philip Cosores), Preservation Hall Jazz Band (photo by Paul R. Giunta), and Paul McCartney (photo by Joshua Mellin) Summer music festivals may be canceling left and right due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but that won’t stop Newport Folk Festival staple the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from playing loud and proud anyway. On Saturday night, the famed group will perform a livestream from their respective homes alongside some special guests, including Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, and Arcade Fire. The livestream, dubbed “Round Midnight Preserves”, will take place on June 20th from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. In addition to the Foo Fighters frontman, The Beatles bassist, and Arcade Fire, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews, Beck, Irma Thomas, My Morning J...
Pharrell, Fantasia, Lionel Richie & More Celebrate Juneteenth
NEWS 6/19/2020 by Gil Kaufman In the midst of a national reckoning about systemic racism and the continued killing of Black and brown men and women at the hands of police, the country paused to celebrate Juneteenth on Friday (June 19). The holiday recalls the end of slavery in the U.S., marking the day (June 19, 1865) when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved people were free; the news came two-and-a-half years after Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Though the holiday is 155-years-old and has been celebrated for more than a century by African-Americans, the focus on racial injustice spurred by the protests in every state over the killing of George Floyd has put a spotlight on the celebra...
Black Pumas, Brittany Howard, Mavis Staples Highlight ATO Records Black Lives Matter Benefit Comp
“Silence is Not An Option (turn this up)” is out now on ATO Records. ATO Records released a surprise digital compilation on Friday (June 19) that will support Black Lives Matter, Color of Change and the Innocence Project. The 11-track album, titled Silence is Not An Option (turn this up), features songs from the label’s catalog by Brittany Howard, My Morning Jacket, Black Pumas, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Benjamin Booker (with Mavis Staples), Drive-By Truckers and a new songs from Emily King, “See Me.” “ATO Records, an independent record label out of New York City, has been reflecting deeply on the injustices and inequality in our world. We recognize that music is not just an agent for change, but a space of solace,” the label said in a statement. &...
Black Sabbath Is Selling Black Lives Matter Tees, All Proceeds Benefit the Movement
After Tom Morello was seen rocking a BLM t-shirt in the style of Black Sabbath‘s logo, fans begged to know where they could also snag one. Now, Black Sabbath has officially put the t-shirt up for sale, with 100% of proceeds donated to Black Lives Matter. The sleek black tees with the band’s purple logo transformed to read “Black Lives Matter” are available for pre-order here, priced at $25 USD. They are expected to ship in mid-July. See the announcement below. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of...
Anthrax, Run-DMC, Suicidal Tendencies & Volbeat Host Charitable Jam Session
Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and Suicidal Tendencies bassist Ra Diaz virtually linked up with Run-DMC‘s Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Volbeat guitarist Rob Caggiano to perform a medley of rap and rock hits for a good cause. Benante praised McDaniels as the “KING of ROCK” in the video description of his highly anticipated six-minute jam session, which consisted of Run DMC’s “It’s Like That” and “Sucker MCs” from the hip-hop group’s 1984 self-titled debut LP and Anthrax’s “I’m The Man” titular track from its 1987 EP. The latter is still considered to be one of the first rap-rock hybrid songs. He made the combined virtual cover available for download on Bandcamp so the proceeds would go toward&nb...
Muse’s Matt Bellamy & Wife Elle Welcome Baby
Congratulations are in order for Matt Bellamy and his wife, Elle, who have announced the birth of their first child together. “Lovella Dawn Bellamy, born Los Angeles June 7th 2020 with exactly the same quarantine haircut as her Dad! Mom @elloelle did an amazing job!” the Muse frontman wrote on Instagram, where he shared some of baby Lovella’s first photos. On her own Instagram page, Elle said she was born “weighing 9 pounds & measuring 23 inches.” The couple married in August 2019 and shared the news of Elle’s pregnancy this past February. Bellamy is also the parent of a child with ex Kate Hudson. Their son, Bingham, was born in 2011. See the sweet baby photos below. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So w...
Ocean Alley on How Eric Andre Inspired “Hot Chicken”
Kyle Meredith With… Ocean Alley Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Ocean Alley guitarist Mitch Galbraith speaks with Kyle Meredith about the Australian band’s new album, Lonely Diamond. The record comes on the heels of their single “Confidence” topping the Triple J Hottest 100, which put some pressure on the group going into this new set. Galbraith discusses the record’s themes of exploration, escapism, and creating a dreamworld, especially using landscapes to paint the lyrical picture. The guitarist also talks about the space cowboy, surf rock vibe they were going for and how Eric Andre inspired the single “Hot Chicken”. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith ...
Michael Stipe Joins Forces With Big Red Machine for New Song ‘No Time For Love Like Now’: Listen
Michael Stipe unveiled the music video for his new collaboration with Big Red Machine, “No Time For Love Like Now” on Thursday (June 11). In the song’s violet-hued visual, the R.E.M. frontman delivers a vocal take in the studio as he looks back on all the small things society took for granted before the days that words such as “quarantine,” “social distancing” and “coronavirus” became part of the everyday lexicon. “There’s no time for dancing/ There’s no time for undecideds/ No time for love like now/ Where did this all begin to change/ The lockdown memories can’t sustain/ This glistening, hanging free fall,” he sings over a synth-heavy orchestration led by Justin Vernon and The National‘s Aaron Dessner. “‘...
Lars Ulrich Surprises Superfan Pediatric Nurse, Reveals New Album on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’: Watch
Lars Ulrich is a man of many talents: drummer, former tennis ace, painter, metal legend. On Wednesday (June 10), the Metallica co-founder put it all aside for a few minutes to pay tribute to another type of hero when he Zoomed in to Jimmy Kimmel Live. The double-kick wizard was the latest celebrity to play a round of #HealthCareHero, this time surprising Tracey Bednar, a pediatric ICU nurse and Metallica superfan from Long Island. Bednar works with children battling COVID-19. Each day she drives 45 minutes to work, clocks in at 7 am and “hits the ground running.” A proper rock star. She loves golf, yoga and playing music loud in the car. Especially Metallica. And in particular, “Enter Sandman.” Enter Ulrich. After the shock and awe of the moment, the Danish-born rocker thanked Bednar for h...
Imagine No More Pandering: Why John Lennon’s Protest Perennial Became an Anthem For the Clueless
On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio became the latest public figure to reference John Lennon’s “Imagine” during turbulent times. When countering calls for police reform, de Blasio mentioned the enduring rock standard; the latest example of how notables have co-opted its lyrics for their own agendas. Journalist Jack Mirkinson tweeted de Blasio’s full comments, in which the mayor compared calls to defund the police to the lyrics of the popular song. “I’m reminded of the song ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon,” de Blasio began during the Wednesday press conference. “I think everyone who hears that song in its fullness thinks about, ‘What about a world where people got along differently? What about a world where we didn’t live with a lot of the restrictions that we live with now?’ But we’r...
