Alternative Music
Dave Grohl and Beck Perform “E-Pro” for Hanukkah: Watch
Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin are back to celebrate the fifth day of Hanukkah, and this time around, they’ve teamed up with Beck to perform his 2005 track “E-Pro.” The performance was recorded in front of a live audience at the Largo in Los Angeles earlier this month for the third annual edition of Grohl and Kurstin’s The Hanukkah Sessions, which celebrates the religious festival with covers of songs by Jewish musicians. Watch below. Thus far, Season 3 of The Hanukkah Sessions has featured covers of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel” with Judd Apatow, “Get the Party Started” with P!nk, 10cc’s “The Things We Do for Love” with Kurstin and Inara George, and Janis Ian’s “At Seventeen” with Grohl’s almost 17-year-old daughter Violet. Advertisement Related Video This isn’t the first t...
How Thom Bell Created a Sound for a City, a Record Label, and for Generations of Fans
50 years ago, the sound of Philly Soul was born out of the legendary Philadelphia International Records. With the talents of The O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Three Degrees, McFadden & Whitehead, and others, the label rewrote the standards of soul music. In light of Bell’s passing on December 22nd, 2022, his 2021 interview with Marcus Shorter. For some households, a Sunday morning consists of certain sounds. The sizzle from a couple strips of bacon cooked just right. That crack an egg makes before it gets scrambled or goes over sunny-side. And, of course, a tune by The Stylistics echoing in every room. Or The Delfonics. Or The Spinners. What defined these songs, besides the incredible performances, was the production courtesy of singer, songwriter, arranger, and record ...
Brian Johnson Has “Been Told Not to” Discuss AC/DC’s Future Plans
Brian Johnson has apparently been told to not to speak about AC/DC’s future plans, including whether or not the band will tour again. The singer was very guarded in a new interview with Eddie Trunk on Sirius XM’s Trunk Nation, refusing to answer some questions about the band’s touring and recording plans. Johnson hasn’t performed with AC/DC since departing their 2016 “Rock or Bust Tour” due to hearing loss, and the band hasn’t played live since September 20th of that year (when Axl Rose had filled in on vocals). When asked by Trunk if AC/DC would perform live again, Johnson replied [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]: “I’m not answering that. Why should I? First of all, there’s five members in this band, and to ask one member isn’t fair.” Advertisement Related Video Johnson returned to AC/DC ...
Afroman Running for President to Be “Pot Head of State”
The artist behind “Because I Got High” is now seeking a higher office: Afroman has announced that he’s running for president in the 2024 US election. “There comes a time in the course of human events when change must be affected,” his campaign manager Jason Savage wrote on Instagram. “That time is now. Americans are suffering, and the status quo is no longer acceptable.” The 48-year-old Afroman, born Jason Foreman, broke out in 2001 with The Good Times, which included the hit songs “Because I Got High,” and “Crazy Rap,” also known as “Colt 45 and 2 Zig-Zags.” He has now released 18 studio albums, most recently 2022’s Lemon Pound Cake. Advertisement Related Video Alongside the announcement, Afroman outlined eight key platforms of his presidential campaign. These include norma...
The Muppet Christmas Carol Was Right to Cut Its Worst Song
Sometimes, on a film’s journey to completion, scenes are cut which add extra insight to a character’s backstory, or contribute to the world-building; cuts that later feel like mistakes, creating a whole ancillary market for extended editions and special features. But sometimes, there are scenes that really were cut fo the film’s benefit — such as the “When Love Is Gone” sequence from The Muppet Christmas Carol. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Brian Henson‘s timeless and charming adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, Disney+ recently presented subscribers with the option to watch either the original theatrical release or the “full-length version.” The primary difference between the two is the inclusion of one extra song, which Henson has said then-Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenbe...
Cannibal Corpse’s Corpsegrinder Meets Mall Santa and Wins Stuffed Animals for Charity
Cannibal Corpse frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher is spreading the cheer this holiday, posing with Santa at the mall before hitting his local Walmart to dominate the claw machine game for charity. Fisher took to Instagram to share the heartwarming content. In stark contrast to the gore-filled imagery and harrowing presence he projects as Corpsegrinder, the death metal vocalist showed off a softer side, beaming a big smile while Santa sat on his lap. “Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!!!” Fisher posted on Instagram. “…yours truly with the best Mall Santa ever!!!” Advertisement Related Video With Christmas around the corner, Fisher then played the role of Santa himself, scoring a plethora of stuffed animals from the Walmart claw game to donate to charity. Along with photos of him with a...
5 Things to Know About Molly Tuttle, Best New Artist Nominee at 2023 Grammys
While Molly Tuttle has technically been part of the bluegrass scene since 2006, the 29-year-old reached new heights in 2022, netting two nominations at the 2023 Grammys: Best New Artist and Best Bluegrass Album. This year saw the artist release her first project since 2020’s …but I’d Rather Be With You. Tuttle’s third studio album Crooked Tree, recorded with her band Golden Highway, arrived in April 2022, and landed her the Best Bluegrass Album nomination. As for the Best New Artist nod, Tuttle will be up against Anitta, Domi & JD Beck, Latto, Omar Apollo, Samara Joy, Muni Long, Tobe Nwigwe, Måneskin and Wet Leg in the category, come Music’s Biggest Night on February 5th, 2023. Advertisement Related Video Here are five things to know abut Molly Tuttle prior to the 2023 Grammy Awards, a...
Whitney Houston Comes to Life (At Least On Stage) In I Wanna Dance With Somebody: Review
The Pitch: In 2012, America lost its Voice — Whitney Houston, the once-in-a-generation pop music icon, tragically died at the too-young age of 48. She was on the verge of a comeback after a stint in rehab, haunted by the twin specters of drugs and expectation; that we never got to see that beautiful second act makes her passing all the more tragic. In the meantime, we’ve got the songs and story Whitney left behind, and Kasi Lemmons’ I Wanna Dance with Somebody (or, as Sony’s SEO-focused title change goes, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody) tries to stuff that into a two-and-a-half-hour speedrun of her life and career, featuring Naomi Ackie as the tragic figure. We see her early days as a gospel singer, groomed for greatness by her ambitious mother Cissy (a perfectly-balance...
Samuel L. Jackson’s 10 Best Roles
Top Performances is a recurring feature in which we definitively handpick the very best performances from an iconic actor or actress. Samuel L. Jackson is far, far more than a series of memes. It’s a fact worth remembering as time goes on, and the actor’s most iconic performances have become inexorably linked to “say what again” image macros and a great many jokes about motherfuckin’ snakes on motherfuckin’ planes. But there’s so much more to the venerable performer than younger audiences may realize and perhaps even more than Pulp Fiction enthusiasts do either. Over a staggering 178 onscreen appearances since 1972 (and with nine more on the way, at various stages of production), Jackson has carved out a distinct niche as an untouchable tough guy with a disarming humor about...
Beyond the Boys’ Club: Pioneering Rocker Leather Leone
Beyond the Boys’ Club is a monthly column from journalist and radio host Anne Erickson, focusing on women in the heavy music genres, as they offer their perspectives on the music industry and discuss their personal experiences. Erickson is also a music artist herself and has a new EP and single out, “Last Love,” with Upon Wings. The latest edition of Beyond the Boys’ Club features an interview with Leather Leone. Throughout the 1980s, Leather Leone was a strong voice in metal music. From her early days in Rude Girl to her high-profile performances with guitar icon David T. Chastain’s band Chastain, Leone was one of the pioneers for women in heavy music. After a long break away from the music scene, Leather is as active in the industry as ever. She recently released her third solo album, We...
Mac DeMarco Wears Inflatable Santa Costume in “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” Video: Watch
Mac DeMarco has continued his tradition of Christmas covers with his rendition of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” Written by Meredith Willson, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” is perhaps best known for being a Top 10 hit in 1951 for Perry Como and The Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra. Bing Crosby also shared a popular version that year, with Johnny Mathis and Michael Bublé releasing their own covers decades later. DeMarco’s take on “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” adds a slightly jazzy touch to the standard with his signature piano, while bells make the cover even more whimsical. It comes with a fun music video in which DeMarco and Dan McNeill ride around Los Angeles on motorcycles while wearing inflatable costumes of Santa Cl...
Frank Zappa in 10 Songs
This feature was originally published in August 2012, but we’re dusting it off for Zappa’s birthday on December 21st. Ever felt overwhelmed by an artist’s extensive back catalog? Been meaning to check out a band, but you just don’t know where to begin? In 10 Songs is here to help, offering a crash course and entry point into the daunting discographies of iconic artists of all genres. This is your first step toward fandom. Take it. You’re a Serious Music Fan. You like artists who have a “Genius With a Capital G” tag affixed to them. You’re looking to immerse yourself in the world of a composer who will always keep you guessing, a musician who gave great interviews, broke new ground every time his or her feet touched the floor, and has a catalog so densely packed that it would make even Robe...
